Tomorrow's Children - Flame of Recca After War
by julius uy
Summary: Billions of people have died in a great war between 2054 and 2063... and humanity is on the brink of extinction. A continuation of War of the Ancient World, Tomorrow's Children takes place in a distant future. Kaoru Koganei found himself mysteriously alive in that future and returns as the protagonist as he teams up with a former enemy-in a quest to give man a 2nd chance to life
1. Episode 0 - A New Journey

**Firestorm - Flame of Recca After War**

_Sixty years ago, we have seen the rise and fall of powers no eyes were ever meant to see. While physicists of this day speculate on folding space such that time travel may prove possible, I have seen with my very eyes what time travel can do. False gods are toppled, but not without the shedding of life. It was a story I always wished to exist only in dreams. Yet who can deny reality when experience marks it with indelible ink?_

_What modern science hoped to achieve, the Hokage has preempted them centuries prior. As for how they learned such technology, I can only speculate. Perhaps, there exists entities, aliens, that taught man to tinker beneath what the world is capable of achieving. Hokage succeeded, and paid dearly for crossing the boundaries set by God._

_Someday, long after I breathe my last, I hope somebody else would carry on this project. If I could change the past, I could right every wrong. If I could see through the future, I could right things before they go wrong. _

_I have with me, the remains of a Hokage weapon. Teishaku Kaiten. A halberd capable of generating a black hole. If my theories prove right, time would change its course when space is bent. Perhaps, through this, mankind's advance will be unparalleled. Neither in the future, nor ever in the past. But as to how we can put this thing back together, I don't think it's going to happen. At least, not in this lifetime._

_Final Memoirs_  
_Dr. Tokiya Mikagami_  
_Theoritical Physicist_  
_January 18, 2063_

Episode 0 - A New Journey

From the depths of my slumber, I opened my eyes. How long has it been? A month? A year? It seems that my entirety was suspended in eternity. The first thing I knew was that I'm trying to adjust my body from the stasis that has held me still. It didn't took long before I realize that I was lying on the streets. It's bright. The sun radiates over me... It's morning.

I wanted to cover my eyes from the light. I wanted to move my arms over my eyes to keep the sun from making me uncomfortable, yet I struggled to move. My body seems to have been long unused. The muscles are stiff... and I can't even seem to remember how to use them anymore. I moved my head. It was among the first to submit to my will. Perhaps it's closest to my brain? Not sure. I saw tall figures towering over me. My eyesight is still failing me from the sun. But before long, they adjusted. There were people staring at me. Bystanders. Have they seen a ghost? what's wrong?

I looked to the left, then to the right. People. Lots of people.

Their face paints a portrait of wonder and fear. No doubt, they're witnessing something alien to them. Something unfamiliar. Something... unusual.

I tried moving my arm again. This time, it seems to respond a bit better. I covered my right eye, touching my forehead. Where am I? What's going on? I tried to recall... if there's anything to recall. None. Nothing. Nothing yet.

As I lifted my hand, something dripped from it. It was red. Blood? Is it pouring out from my forehead? But I don't feel any pain. Are my senses still numb? Mostly... but not my head... I'm sure...

I rested both my elbows to the ground... wanting to push myself up. I did, but not without effort. I adjusted my eyes to my body. Red. I see red... with patches of skin. I'm covered in blood. But neither do I feel pain on my body. What's going on?

"Don't move."

From a cacophony of voices... of whispers and murmurs that flooded my ears, that's the one I heard most audibly. I looked at the direction from where the voice came. A lady. Her face is wrinkled. She's bent... looking fragile. Her hair is white as snow.

"You're injured. Don't move until the ambulance comes."

Injured? She seems to be talking to me. I'm supposed to be hurting? But I'm not. I just feel numb that's all. What must I say? What's going on?

I retracted my leg. The left one first, and tried to push myself up.

"What the hell are you doing? Stop moving!"

I did stop. My heart started pounding faster. Her voice was loud! She's angry at me? I looked at her again. She does look mad. But she looks worried too. I didn't know why, but I touched my chest. I could feel the uncomfortable beating... yet I feel fuzzy inside. Fuzzy... and sad. Is it normal? Should I feel that way when people raise their voice?

Wait... I can feel my chest from my hand. I looked around. Everybody had something on. Then I looked at my hand holding my chest. Slowly I withdrew it. Red. Blood. Blood stained my hand and my chest. It didn't matter much. I'm not hurting. But why don't I have a shirt on?

The old lady buried her hand to a bag she's holding. When it came out, something came out with it. White. A shirt? Yes a shirt. It has buttons. and the sleeves would probably fit until halfway from my shoulder to my elbow. She put her bag down and wrapped the shirt around my body. Again, I felt fuzzy. Before I realized it, I was smiling. But why?

My eyes did not leave her. I wanted to say something. But what? What do you say when someone makes you smile? I thought... and thought... but words defy me. I simply smiled... and smiled... while blood stains my new shirt.

Then I realized, I was suppose to stand. So I pushed myself up. I struggled a little, balance and all... but it didn't took long before I'm on two feet... and everyone around me widen the gap. I looked around... they were even more scared! Only the old lady stood her ground. "For God's sake can't you even listen to the words of an elderly?" She was yelling again... looking at me... upset.

"MOVE ASIDE!"

There was a loud voice. It wasn't from the old lady. I looked to the opposite direction. Men... in white, running towards me and... holding a... was that a bed? No... I've seen that before. That's where people sometimes lay. What was it called?

"Don't move. Everything's alright."

They're talking to me?

One of them touched my shoulders. I didn't like it. So I shove it off.

"Kid, you need medical attention. We're paramedics. Don't be stubborn."

Again he reached out his hand to touch my shoulders. I ducked, and jumped back. When my feet landed, I lost my balance. I slipped and fell down on my butt. Now that's painful. The man attempted to touch me a third time. But just before he could, I slipped away, and dashed to the opposite direction.

"FREEZE!"

I saw people in front of me pointing a black thing at me. They're blocking my way. I've seen those before too! But where? Should I freeze? No. Maybe not. I ran towards them... and everyone before me ran aside... opening a path for me to go forth.

"STOP RUNNING OR WE'LL SHOOT!"

They're angry too? But why? I can hear people behind me yelling... but I ignored them. Fear grows in my heart. What's going on? Can't they even give me time to compose myself? I continued my pace. And before I realize it, they were far. Really far. They couldn't run as fast as I could. Even if they could, they probably never wanted to. We're they really scared? That's something I probably will never know.

It almost felt like a thousand years have gone by. Yet it also seems like it was just yesterday.

I was still running. Not knowing where I am going. Not knowing what I am doing.

Then it hit me.

Why am I still alive?

**TOMORROW'S CHILDREN **

Flame of Recca After War

Boredom seems to play a role in crafting this story. I would lay awake at night trying to gather my thoughts before going to sleep. This is among them. A sequel I never really wanted to do... yet events could often lead people to things unplanned. Or perhaps, because there was, in the first place, no plans.

Updates may or may not be erratic. It depends on my mood. Depends on my time. A lot of factors has to be considered. But I'm happy to release a new chapter after a year's respite.

If you're reading the Firestorm saga for the first time, you should read War of the Ancient World through this link:

www!dot!fanfiction!dot!net/s/2288147/1/Firestorm-Flame-of-Recca-After-War

This is the second part of the series.

Please R&R :)


	2. Episode 1 - A Faraway Future

**TOMORROW'S CHILDREN**

Flame of Recca After War

_It's been so long. Four hundred years of living is too taxing. Today is my son's birthday, yet it didn't seem to matter. For what importance is the day of birth when death is what he has and something that I crave?_

_How ironic that I would outlive my son by five centuries. Even in this old age, death eludes me. How long must I wait until the reaper comes knocking at the door?_

_Everywhere I turn, I see people wanting to extend their lives. Little did they know that the lifespan ordained for them is just right. Just enough to live a life of meaning and purpose. If only they would live as long as I, they would understand._

_Such meaninglessness. Man's pursuit of anything temporal is always less than the eternal... And once he attains the eternal, he would long for the temporal. Contentment is something we all truly lack._

_Introduction to the Eulogy_  
_Written by Kagero for Recca Hanabishi_  
_July 27, 2055_

Kurei picked Recca up by the neck, the latter almost unconscious. "STOP!" yelled Fuuko. "That's enough... you don't have to kill him." It wasn't a demand. It was pleading. A hopeless pleading that both of them knew. Yet the words almost seem to come naturally... instinctively... in a desperate attempt to save a friend's life, she pleaded. "We surrender! Stop the fight!"

Kurei grinned, still clutching the neck of his fallen nemesis. "I waited years for the opportunity to take his life. Today, it shall come to pass."

The flame master unleashed a huge torrent of flame, burning his brother alive. Faint screams... from a life almost extinguished. "NOOOOOOO!" Fuuko shrieks, and the rest of Team Hokage stared at the light show. Subdued... fallen... defeated... Uruha Kurenai retained their title as the champion of the Urabutou Satsujin.

Kaoru looked away, not wanting to see the execution. Yet as he did, something just as dreadful gripped his attention. A pair of eye caught his... someone from the shadows was observing.

**Episode 1 - A Faraway Future**

_From yet again, the depth of my slumber, I awoke. Cold sweat running down my cheeks... what have I just seen? A dream? A premonition? It can't be. We have won the Urabutou Satsujin. We saved Yanagi from Mori's clutches. It must have been a dream... it should have been... just a dream._

_I rubbed my eyes... composing myself. My memories are returning to me. I was trapped inside the time portal with Mori. I closed it from both ends. Then... I'm sure, that's where I breathed my last..._

_Yet the question remains. Why am I still alive? Why can't I remember anything since then?_

Kaoru looked up the sky. It was painted orange with the setting sun. He found himself sitting down in the back alley, wanting to compose him thoughts after the confusion that ensued. There are more questions than answers. The problem with the world is not that it is irrational. Rather, that it is almost rational. Just when you think you have the answer, an uncanny question breaks down the coherence you thought was.

The silence of his self-reflection was broken almost immediately by a city-wide announcement.

"Earlier today at about 11:30 in the morning, a mysterious boy suddenly appeared in the 3rd district. Witnesses claim that the entire place was enveloped in darkness for a few seconds. The boy was about 56 inches in height, had spiky hair, and was covered with blood. His overall appearance resembles our archaeological finds of humans that lived 400 years ago."

_What the heck? They're talking about me! What do they mean 400 years ago?_

"If anyone sees him, please report it to authorities immediately. Anyone who finds him will be rewarded with a month's supply of water. Here' are some pictures of the boy."

The sky was suddenly covered in darkness. In a brief moment, images began to appear. Arrays of light gathered together in the sky to form vivid images of him laying down on the streets. Awe... what humans have accomplished centuries past his lifetime never fails to amaze those whose dreams don't even compare to what the eyes recognize. Kaoru smiled. What he saw was a spectacular display of human advancement. Instantly, he realized that public radios and television was rendered obsolete, even irrelevant.

Yet he knew the smile wouldn't last. The excitement was quickly replaced by fear. Just a couple of hours ago, he found himself in the streets... alive... without an explanation. Now, he found himself as though he was a fugitive. Again without an explanation. But what an odd reward. Water? In his time he could have as much water as he want. What is a month's supply of water in exchange for a fugitive? Nobody would be crazy enough to risk their lives for that...unless... where he is right now is a time when the citizens are deprived of it.

"Again, please contact the authorities when you see him. That is all."

The images conjured in the sky started to fade... and the sky is abit darker now. The night will soon replace the day. Kaoru let loose a sigh. "Why do I have to go through all this?"

Suddenly, a gunshot echoed from the alley. Kaoru jumped up. The bullet barely missed his leg. _Someone's trying to kill me. _Kaoru quickly turned to see his aggressor.

"What the heck?"

A small guy. A bit chubby, wearing glasses, with his shotgun aimed at Kaoru. The man was shaking. Obviously, he wasn't accustomed to carrying a gun.

"What was that for?"

The man refused to answer with words. Rather, he answered by pulling the trigger, firing another shot. This time, Kaoru was quick enough to dodge the bullet. In almost a blink of an eye, he appeared right next to his attacker and slapped the gun off him. The shotgun fell to the ground and Kaoru pushed the guy to the wall with his arm aimed at the attacker's neck. "You will answer my questions, mister.."

The man panicked and screamed, "Don't kill me please!" shaking violently.

"Stop screaming or I'll break your neck!" Demanded Kaoru. He had to be cruel, intimidating. It was unlikely of him. Such out of character. Yet the events that happened has molded him to become the person that he is today. He used to take life for granted. Now, his maturity quickly outgrew his childishness. He didn't want to treat the man that way... but circumstances dictate that he should.

"What day is it? And what year?"

The man looked puzzled. Is that a trick question? What is his victim turned aggressor trying to do?

"ANSWER ME!"

"2411! January 18, 2411! Don't kill me please."

_What the hell? This guy has his life on the line. He wouldn't be lying to me. I'm really in the future! 400 years from my time._

"Take off your cloak."

"But sir..."

"Take it off! You won't need it when you're dead. You can fine another when you're not."

The man showly removed his cloak, trembling for his life. "Here you go." handing it over to Kaoru. The outfit of the people in this time is different. Yet he didn't want to strip the guy down. He only needed something to cover himself... and the cloak is perfect. At his present state, he couldn't travel freely. Even with the cloak, he still couldn't. He's robbing the guy... yet he didn't have a choice. When one is left with no good choices, the more sensible recourse is to pursue that which is less evil.

"Why are you being rewarded with water for capturing me?"

The man hesitated again. His trembling stifled his speech.

Before either of them could speak, the man looked past Kaoru and screamed in horror. Kaoru looked back and saw a huge beast jumping into them. Instinctively, Kaoru feigned to the right, avoiding the animal. His hostage wasn't too lucky. The beast had its teeth buried on the man's head. Its paws grabbing his victim by the sides. The man died instantly from the wounds.

Kaoru stared, in horror. "What on earth!" The beast turned to him. It found itself a double dose of treat for dinner. Kaoru stepped back, his heart beating fast now. He could easily handle a man shaking on his knees, but not a hungry beast.

Suddenly, when both eyes met... Kaoru saw through the savage.

"This guy... Shiju?"

The beast lunged towards him. Kaoru sidestepped to the left and with his right leg, kicked the animal's face-using the force to distance himself and to push the chimera away. So powerful was the kick that the animal went out of balance and crashed to the ground. Kaoru landed several meters away from the beast. He looked behind. Brick wall. His sides are also towered by two tall buildings.

_The only way out is right in front... where the monster is._

The chimera quickly recovered from the kick and roared in anger. An injured animal is a greater danger. Spikes grew from the monster's shoulders, producing an even more dangerous entity that it already is.

"Mutation... just like... the Urabutou Satsujin..."

Suddenly, Kaoru saw a huge flame between him and the beast.

_What was that!?_

_I hear... a faint scream..._

_Recca?_

Kaoru rubbed his eyes. When he looked again, there was nothing. No flames, nobody... No one but a beast that has already bridged the distance. It thrusted its paws towards Kaoru.

_Darn it! What was that vision?_

The beast caught Kaoru's body with its paws and pinned him to the ground. Kaoru let loose a smothered scream. His small body had been subdued by a single arm just like that. The animal roared anew and raised its other paw, preparing for the fatal blow to the only exposed part of its victim's body-the head. Kaoru quickly spit on the left eye of the beast. Failing to shield it on time, the beast had the brunt of the moisture momentarily blinding it. The grip on Kaoru's body laxed as the beast was taken aback by the unexpected avenue of attack. Kaoru nipped up and rolled away.

The interruption was momentary, and the beast commenced its unfinished business.

_The shotgun!_

In a rare stroke of luck, Kaoru realized that his attacker was a blessing in disguise. The random guy who wanted to take his life had ironically supplied everything he needed to survive. The boy jumped into the gun, his pursuer jumping in on him from behind.

With lightning speed, he grabbed the gun and pointed it at the beast, who had already jumped towards him, waiting to dive down and finish off his prey.

"This is as far as you go, monster!"

He pulled the trigger.

A gunshot.

Silence...

And that's it...

The beast fell, bleeding from the mouth... motionless. Kaoru let loose a sigh of relief.

"That was pretty close!"

This too, is also devoid of explanation. He was attacked, first by a man, then a chimera. The more waking time he spends in this foreign place, the less possible it is to piece the puzzle together. He laid on his back, both arms wide open... as though to rest from a near death encounter. He allowed himself to savor the air as he gives himself time for his breathing to normalize. One breath... then two... then another.

Just as he began to relax, his eye caught yet another thing that made absolutely no sense.

"The moon..."

"There are TWO of them!"

**End of Episode 1**


	3. Episode 2 - Even the Righteous Err

_War. Another war. I don't understand the thoughts of men. Why is there a need for violence? Why the selfishness? When man isolates himself from others, or worse, when society isolates themselves from others... and ends up pursuing goals born out of selfishness, hatred, and vengeance, there war ensues._

_In war, there are no winners... none, except the ego._

_For so long, we have avoided crossing swords with the rest of the world. Yet the ambitions of wicked men to hold the world on the palm of their hands has to be tempered, even stilled._

_For what profit is it to a man if he gains the world yet loses his soul? Or what can a man do in exchange for his soul? Matthew 16:26 I believe._

_This is the day Japan enters the war. May the Almighty guide our guns._

_Japan's Declaration of War General Fuuko Kirisawa Armed Forces Chief of Staff September 8, 2054_

Kaoru stared into the vastness of the sky. Stars are scattered in abundance, each one bestowing its own share of brilliance to light the darkness. Yet in the midst of this, two of the largest lanterns caught his eyes.

"The moon... there are two of them!?"

**Episode 2 - Even The Righteous Err**

After a few minutes to catch his breath, Kaoru sat up, covering his head and body with the cloak of his now fallen aggressor. He gave a last look at the man, eyes painted with sorrow. "I'm sorry..." he murmured. "I couldn't even give you a proper burial."

With that, he pulled himself onto his feet and began walking away.

_Four hundred years into the future. A society impoverished of water. The Earth with two moons. A chimera that resembled Shiju. And a second life._

_In less than a day, I have been bombarded by so much questions and none of them seem to make sense. I have to sort them out and start from the most urgent-water._

_In order to know the answer to the other four, I have to survive... and to survive, I need water. I have to find out what happened to it._

Kaoru strolled the streets, making his presence as benign as possible. He couldn't help but attract a few suspicious stares. Yet no one seem to care. At least none panicked at his presence.

It's pretty dusty. This land is so different from Japan. No wonder everyone wears a cloak.

Kaoru meekly observed the surroundings, trying to gather as much information from a world foreign in time and place. People wear mostly long sleeves and pants. They look like diving suits. A select few would wear short sleeves, mostly women. But that is all. It was so unlike the highly liberated philosophy and fashion of his time.

The structures are also different. The streets are barely used. The roads are not flattened. They need not be. All the transports are levitating... operated seemingly by magnets. For instance, busses no longer need so much time to travel from one stop to another. Magnets push and pull them towards their next destination. A feat accomplished in mere seconds.

Buildings are not less imposing. The architecture is accomplished with unparalleled details. He had just passed by a shopping mall. Escalators are but yesterday's convenience. Each person now rides a disc, also operated by magnets. They are brought by these machines to where they wish with a touch of hand. The shops? They are not segregated by floors, for the mall's center is wide open. Of course, how can the machines travel with finesse when their path is obstructed by platforms?

Kaoru wished he could see more of it, but something more urgent comes first. Human wisdom is indeed a beauty none could deny. Yet until imaginations of the past can be seen vividly in tomorrow's reality, one has only seen but a dent of man's capability to innovate.

_A church!_

Just across the street, a rather odd structure among the rest caught his eye. Designed with medieval architecture, almost Spanish in its facade, was a Catholic Church.

_So Jesus is still worshipped to this day. That's a pleasant news._

Kaoru's cross, the metal pendant which Mikagami used to locate him in Mokuren's body has reminded him of an unexpected savior. He began to wonder when was the last time he wore it. In man days, that would've been centuries since. Fond memories of when he was still among the churchgoers. Strongly influenced by his culturally Christian parents. Just as he was enjoying the flashback, a bright light stole his attention.

_Neon?_

_Neon what are you doing here?_

_"Kaoru... you must... protect her. Do not let her fall into the hands of the enemy..."_

_Suddenly, a huge spear impaled the musician from the chest. She coughed out a mouthful of blood... and in mere seconds, breathed her last._

Kaoru stared, his heart begins to pound faster... "not again... what's going on?" Then, he saw the same evil eyes staring from the shadows... and that was it.

_Another vision._

_Yes. I didn't even remember to consider the visions from the list of things I have to figure out. What are those? Why do these things have to happen to me?_

Kaoru composed himself from the momentary shock. If they are indeed visions, they would have to wait until he sorts out the most pressing mystery-water shortage.

He went inside the church. Of all the places he could go to, churchgoers are perhaps those he could trust best... given that all are strangers. He once heard from a priest that Christians are not righteous people collectively gathering in a church. They are rather sinners who recognized their need for help. The church, he thought, was for the soul as the hospital is for the body. Both venue provides healing, only in different ways.

The priest was just about strolling casually in the empty hall. He was old, advanced in years. Wrinkles easily showed, and his horseshoe hairstyle makes it difficult to conceal his age.

"Sir," Kaoru called out. The priest stopped at his tracks. Turning to see the one who called him. "Yes child, what is it?"

"I'm Kaoru. Kaoru Koganei. It's nice to meet you." The boy smiled and offered a handshake. Quite casual for greeting an elderly. In Japan, a handshake is considered foreign. People bow down as a means of greeting. The priest returned a smile. It's not very frequent of him to see someone in odd clothing. Blue shorts, rubber shoes, white shirt, and a cloak? Not even his childhood reminds him of anyone wearing such. "I'm glad to meet you too, son." the priest returned a smile. "Some interesting looks you got there."

Kaoru looked at his outfit, unsure of what to do. "But I..."

"Just kidding" the old man interjected. "I was just teasing. You're the one from the AVD aren't you?"

"AVD?"

"Short for Aerovisual Display. That's what the government use for important announcements."

Kaoru sighed, and nodded slowly, his face downcast.

"There's something going on inside you." The priest probed. "I'm all ears. You can tell me anything."

Kaoru felt a glimmer of hope. He had been alone for many days... and while those days may seem short, the events that transpired in between made them nothing less than a glimpse of hell. He let loose another sigh. This time, of relief. Finally, a place of rest. Finally, somebody who can listen.

"I don't know what happened to me. I was supposed to be dead. Dead centuries prior."

He paused, watching the old man. To say such words would often invite misinterpretations followed by tongue lashings. He wanted to make sure that he was not up against another lecture.

The priest was calm and reassuring. A welcome permission for him to continue. "But now I'm alive. Healthy and all. I woke up in the streets earlier today, yet I have no clue how or why I ended up there... but I did."

"Tell me. You said that you were supposed to be dead centuries prior... but now you're alive. How old are you? And when were you born?"

"14 sir. September of 1989."

Hmmm... it's that year. 2003. Could he be involved in THAT incident?

"So what happened in between?"

"I'm... I..." Kaoru stuttered for a moment. "I'm not sure if you'll believe me sir."

"Didn't I tell you?" reminded the priest. "You can tell me anything."

"I was trapped in a time portal while fighting against a demon. He was too powerful for me... and the least I could do is to seal both of us inside the portal... and there I passed away. After that, I don't remember anything else."

The priest's smile faded while listening to the story. He had heard of miracles, even read them from the Holy Book. But now stands before him somebody who is a walking testament.

"Kaoru, Do you believe in God?"

"I do, sir."

"And do you believe that God is the rightful master of time?"

"Yes."

"Then why did you involve yourself over something that only God is rightful to engage?"

Kaoru was silent. All of what he said was true, yet it seems the other person isn't getting the point.

"Have you realized what you have done?"

The priest now sounding belligerent. Kaoru didn't like where this is going. The once benevolent face of the priest has been replaced by one that made him uncomfortable. "I..."

"You heretic! You sons of the devil! Man violated nature, and thus nature unleashed its fury upon us. Man violated morality, and thus morality unleashed its wrath upon us. Even time, you did not spare. You brood of vipers. To tamper with what is rightfully God's... have you realized what you have done? The entire world has been cursed because of you!"

"But I didn't..."

Kaoru felt tears moistening his eye. His voice broken. To be accused of something you're innocent with... that is the worst possible injustice. And for that to come from a clergy further rubs salt on open wounds.

The priest's ears began to grow. His face stretching forward, giving way for fangs and horns to manifest themselves. The limbs mutated into that of a beast's. Nothing resembled the priest being once human. A body, created once in God's image, was defiled by one who bears witness to the Gospel. He was also a chimera.

"You're sacrilege has brought forth the end of the world!" Growled the priest, pouncing onto his prey.

Kaoru jumped back, narrowly avoiding the point of impact. "I didn't do it!" He shouted back, tears rolling down his cheeks. "I never wanted..." Then suddenly, he felt something unusual. My legs... they're shaking?

The monster continued with its assault, swinging its arm. The huge log of muscles caught Kaoru's side, and he was thrown several meters away into a defenseless series of pillars, each one breaking from the point of impact. Kaoru crashed into the altar floors, writhing in pain.

The east wing of the church began to cave in. Out of lack of support, the pillars broken and all, the roof slammed to the ground, causing massive dust cloud to fling to the air. Kaoru was lucky enough to be thrown near the altar, where the walls could still support that part of the structure.

"Do you know what the Bible says against those who turned against God?" The priest roared. Smoke coming out of his nostrils. "Second death!"

Kaoru lay flat to the ground. His body is overwhelmed with pain. Not even Tendou Jigoku could throw him with such force. He was dazed, and his visions are blurry at best. He tried to push himself up... to stay down is not the best position in a situation like this.

Just as he was about to straighten up, the beast dove into him like a bullet, and Kaoru was thrown aback once more, destroying the crucifix and several statues on the wall. The boy fell to the ground, and the statues above crumbled, burying him in the rubbles.

"Aren't you going to fight back?"

The chimera shot down his fist into the debris. When it emerged, it had in its claws Kaoru's hair, his head was now stained with blood from the fall. His vision, more blurred. The monster picked him up , his entire body suspended by the claws that gripped his hair.

"Aren't you going to answer?"

A fist to the face.

"What's the point?"

The priest did not expect such an answer. For a brief moment, he felt that he wanted to know more. "What did you just say?"

"What's the point?" Started Kaoru, spouting out words suppressed by pain. "I didn't ask for a second life. What do you think life is like for me... to be transported to the future where my friends and family are all dead?" He paused, catching his breath. "I am alone, and I don't have any clue on just about everything that's happening around me. Do you think I'm happy to be alive? I didn't ask for this."

The priest was silent. Tears also moistened his cheeks. He could feel his hand lowering the boy. A mistake. A quick pronouncement of guilt over someone who hadn't have the chance to explain. Such selfishness from the heart of a holy man. He began to untransform. The aggression wasn't necessary. Compassion, he realized, turned out to be a life saver.

Kaoru was on his knees, his hand stretched to keep him from falling back down to the ground. He was breathing heavily, watching the priest revert to his human form.

Then,

Just as he was recuperating, he felt a sharp blow to the back of his neck. He felt dizziness, and all went black. He fell to the ground... unconscious.

End of Chapter 2.

**Author's notes:** It appears that Flame of Recca is an anime already buried in the history books. There are hardly any readers these days unlike a decade ago when the anime was still at Shonen Jump. Childhood memories do get old, yet are also refreshed time and again.

I'd like to keep this running, but the fanbase has been shrinking as time goes by. Like any FoR fan, I'm still looking forward for a reboot. The anime version has totally massacred the plot.

I'm currently thinking of putting this on hiatus and start a new fiction for Sword Art Online. Mainly because of lack of audience... haha! I might write a chapter or two before stopping... we'll see what happens. The future is still wide open.

Thanks Ushinaware for the review. :)


	4. Episode 3 - Revelations

_Kurei... it's been eight years since we last saw each other._

_Raiha has been very kind and reassuring. Every time I would ask about you, he would tell me that you're still working on something... and that when the time does come, you would come back._ I am receiving all your letters every week through Raiha... and I'm really grateful that you found a friend in him.

_I'm still waiting son. Still waiting... because you promised that we would see each other again._

_Tsukino Mori_

Letter to Kurei

_February 25, 2011_

Tsukino will later die of old age. The day when they will meet each other again will never come...

Kaoru watched the priest untransform. Unimaginable in his time that a man would be defiled so much as to be turned into a werewolf. He had heard it in fictions before, but now stands before him an imagination turned reality.

His mind began to wander to the other chimera he shot. Could that monster also be human? It's a question he may never find an answer to. Exhausted and in pain, he breathe several mouthful of deep respiration.

Then, he felt a sharp blow to the back of his neck.Everything went dark. He fell to the ground, unconscious.

"Is he the one?"

"Yes. No doubt."

"I see... nothing much has changed. He looks just like how he was... back in 2003."

**Episode 3 - Revelation**

_I saw the Kougan Anki fall to the ground. Then I realized that I too, was falling. My body is consumed by smoke, freshly burned by gouts of flame. I dropped to the ground like a fly, and despite my attempts to get back up, my body declines. I'm too exhausted... too weak to bring myself to my feet._

_I felt my hand grew heavy. Then my legs. Then I felt a crushing blow, almost wanting to break my body in half. I opened my eyes, partially... to see what's happening, despite the exhaustion._

_There stands me a big, hairy figure. Someone I've never seen before. I closed my eyes once more, surrendering my fate entirely to the person standing over me._

_He pounded me once more... and the pain was so great that I wanted to faint... yet through it all I felt myself opening my eyes yet again._

_This time, I saw everything was different. I was awake. It was just a dream after all._

_JUST a dream..._

Kaoru made a few involuntary twitches, his eyes adjusting to the environment. Slowly, he opened them, still groggy from the blow that knocked him unconscious.

_Where am I?_

He tried to move. But his body isn't cooperating. It wasn't too long before he realized that his was suspended mid air. arms are stretched apart, shackled by magnets.

_I'm in a prison!_

It was the first time he had been imprisoned. Immediately, he thought of Sekiou, the stone giant who fought Domon in Kurei's manor. The guy had been sitting there as though the cell was his home. He would look up to Kaoru whenever the boy passes by, and stare at him until he leaves. Those cold gaze would've chilled most people's spines, but not the strongest lieutenant in the manor.

Kaoru's fighting ability is certainly not among the Uruha's finest. His madougu is only mediocre at best. In fact, he has to physically outclass his opponent if he should win. Akin to how Raiha trained himself. Yet against Sekiou, he is decisively superior. It was to no surprise that when he unlocked Sekiou's cell, he was entirely at ease.

This time though, he found himself not as a jail warden, but as an occupant. Imprisoned at an unknown place in a distant future.

He let lose a sigh... and before long, tears began to creep out his eyes. He was crying. Despair has finally got the better of him. From the time he was transported back to the sixteenth century, until the time he was brought back to life, he never really shed a tear. Perhaps, other emotions got the upper hand. Fear... and responsibility. It's not that he didn't feel like crying. It's that there's no time for him to cry... no chance, until today.

When life is stripped of meaning... when one is given life, yet none of what exists alongside gives it any purpose, it quickly descends to emptiness. Devoid of both meaning and purpose, life becomes - ironically, a curse.

He cried silently, as long as tears lasted... and cried. It was only tempered with he heard somebody else calling his name.

_"Kaoru?"_

_Another vision... what now?_

_"Kaoru?" The man repeated. "Is that you?"_

The boy turned to his caller, an almost automatic response to somebody who mentioned your name twice. What stood before him had flowing robes. He was well built, almost six feet vertically. His entire body was dressed in white from head to toe. Only one part of his eye would reveal his body to the outside world.

_"Zetto?"_

The zombified man, known only with the last letter of the alphabet that is Z. Kaoru crossed swords with him in SODOM. They met each other as enemies, and parted as friends. To live, is meaningless. To live as a human, that is what counts. It was a life lesson Zetto learned in his brief encounter with the boy. In those days, he lived with a dilemma. It is an unspoken law of nature that the only way to augment life is to consume another. That's how things work, even today... and that's how Zetto's world revolved until he, a monster, was loved. No, not by a lover, but by a friend... a friend in a little angel. Life is always a choice between self-preservation and self-sacrifice. Every other decision made is filtered by these principles. In SODOM, Zetto had chosen the latter.

The zombie walked towards the boy, his posture frail. He wasn't as sturdy as he was during their encounter. In a battle against time, the latter never loses. Yet nevertheless, the heart that washed the monstrosity in him remains active and whole.

He lowered himself to his knees, wiping the boy's tears. When both cheeks were dried, he leaned over, hugging the boy with all his heart.

"I never thought we would see each other again."

The zombie quickly turned emotional. In mere moments, Kaoru felt moisture on his shoulder. Zetto, despite the mutation that consumed him, still could shed tears. In many ways, he was more human than most.

It was then that Kaoru realized-he was not seeing a vision. The arms that wrapped around him was real. He wanted to hug Zetto back, but his shackled hands could do only so much. Again, tears began to stream down his eyes. He didn't have an answer. Zetto was still alive four hundred years hence. But at this time, he doesn't need an explanation. All he longed for, was company-somebody whom he can lean on. Zetto filled that role. An unlikely company for someone who should've been the first to die after the SODOM incident.

In the midst of tears and weeping, Zetto broke the silence. "I miss you so much."

Kaoru responded with a quivering lip, "I miss you too. How are you still alive?"

Zetto loosened his hug and held the boy's shoulder... looking straight into his eyes. "I was just about to ask you the same question." Kaoru responded only with a blank stare. The last time he told his side of the story, he was almost killed. The trauma still hasn't left him... and at this time, he wasn't comfortable to be the first to speak.

"Very well, I'll start first." Offered the zombie. "Back in SODOM, you were all successful in destroying Tendou Jigoku. I was sitting under a tree, waiting for my body to expire. I felt my insides about to burst out, until I saw a great light in H or H. I wasn't so sure what happened that time... the battle could've gone either way. I wasn't concerned. All I was thinking about is death."

"A few hours later, I saw the Hokage walk away from H or H. It was then that I realized that you all have won. I waited for hours, then days. My body remained as it is. The pain subsided, and everything went back to normal. I didn't turn back to human, but neither did I degenerate further. It seems that when Tendou Jigoku perished, the virus that's consuming me also died with it."

"Then," he paused, looking for the right words. "I was abducted."

"Abducted?" Kaoru confirmed. "By who?"

"I don't know. But what I know is that they look human. Dressed in black robes. They appear to be extremely powerful. Their mere presence has frozen me in place."

Kaoru was immediately reminded of his visions. The eyes in the darkness. Could that person be among those described by Zetto? Just as he was pondering about it, he was reminded of the incident in the church when his knees began to shake violently. It wasn't because he was scared of the priest. An extremely powerful presence has suddenly appeared in their midst... and even he, a person who danced with death for more times than he could count was paralyzed by THAT presence. _Impossible. that was 400 years ago. They can't be one and the same. _The flashback was only stilled when his stomach growled. He realized that he hasn't eaten for a day.

Zetto paused and switched the topic, "Here," reaching into his coat and out comes a small piece of bread. "Nothing much... but better than nothing."

"What about you?"

"I don't eat. This body is not weakened by hunger. It feels no hunger nor thirst." The zombie served the bread to the boy, the latter unable to eat by himself.

_Thirst... yes... water._

"By the way, what happened to the water?"

"Oh... didn't you know? We're in Mars. Water is very limited here."

_Mars... then that explains why I saw two moons last night. But WHY are we in Mars? _

"I was abducted by three people and was brought to a research facility. I was jailed for several years. Then finally, they placed me in a spaceship bound for Mars, along with twelve others. It was a one way journey... the year was 2035."

"We were the first settlers on Mars. Over time, from twelve people, the human settlement here has reached to about 8000."

"By the way, have you seen all the great buildings around the city?"

Kaoru nodded. He did saw them, and was amazed by how technology advanced so quickly.

"They are mere diversions."

"Diversions?"

"To keep mankind sane." Zetto looked into Kaoru's eyes, making sure that his point would get across. "This city is all of what's left of humanity."

**End of Episode 3**

Author's notes:

Hope you like it. Please R and R.

Thanks again Ushi for the review. Your encouragement means a lot.:


	5. Episode 4 - The Root of All Evil

"What is this?" A tall, well-built man towered over a school of demoralized platoon. "This is not the time to despair."

Lifting his bazooka with one arm and leaning it between his shoulders, he looked at what remains of his forces, "If we give up now, then there will be nothing left for tomorrow's children."

He was in his mid 70's. A veteran in his own right, the scars he earned from previous battles are tokens of envy to many warriors. He was at his prime as a teenager, a man who is adept at using a wide variety of weapons in battle. What he lacks in speed, he compensates in both strength and durability. Both of these however, have depleted with age... And while a mouthful of complains about how powerful he once was could be heard, he is still, among the planet's strongest.

Most men at his age would quietly retire in the comfort of their homes. But not him. He was not about to forsake the motivation that has kept him going in the most trying of times. His wife, now the chief of staff in the Japanese armed forces, is fighting for the survival of the world.

A simple-minded giant was among the last bastion of defense. He was, like many others, a man who flirted with death, and ended up getting the better of the gamble each time. His hair, once mowhawked with spikes has thinned. A hairstyle he never changed, for to him, it was a trophy of his going all the way into hell and back. He was among the few who survived the great battle in SODOM.

And while in those days he used to fight for two ladies, Yanagi and Fuuko, his seniority as a Japanese citizen widened his horizons. He wasn't just fighting for Japan. He was fighting for the survival of the world.

**Episode 4 - The Root of All Evil**

_I can now hear the firefight. The lines of battle has receeded, and we are at the receiving end of the casualty. Have I made the right choice to sign a declaration of war? Perhaps, if Japan allied herself with the Planewalkers, she would have been spared._

Fuuko walked away from the window of her office, settling back to her desk with a sorrowful sigh. She grabbed a picture frame next to the phone. It showed Team Hokage all beaming with smiles. It was a photo of them all after they won the Urabutou Satsujin.

Recca was the first to grip her attention. He was among the casualties of war. Of all who has lost their lives so far, Recca was the one who made the most meaningful sacrifice.

"Fuuko," she recalled. Recca's final words. "It was great to fight alongside for decades. Please tell my wife that I won't make it for dinner tonight."

"Recca, you fool!" She yelled on the other side of the phone. "There has to be another way. Stop what you are doing. This is an order."

The flame master, stubborn as ever, decided that if someone is going to have his way, that would be him.

"I'll see you again... Should we end up on both sides of eternity."

Then, she heard a loud bang... And a series of explosions followed. Then, the communication line was cut... And that was it.

The date: July 15, 2055.

Fuuko could feel her cheeks soaked in tears. She had seen people selflessly offering up their lives for others. Hisui, the weilder of the Shinryo Shintou, quickly crossed her mind. The person who once wanted her life ended up giving hers. Then there was Kaoru. When the mad doctor pointed the gun at Zetto, the former Uruha jumped in and took the bullet instead. A human, risking his life for a monster... what other word could describe it apart from compassion? Of course, there was Yanagi. The healing girl who offered herself as a wager in the Urabutou Satsujin. Now that she had spent time thinking it over, it turned out that just as she saved Yanagi's life, so did Yanagi save hers. For without her willingness to be the wager, all of them would've been killed by Kurei.

Suddenly, a loud explosion outside broke her meditation. She gained back her senses and glanced at the window to assess the situation.

_The walls. The enemy have now reached the walls._

Her heart began to beat faster. Instantly, she thought of her aged husband. She scanned the troops, many in disarray after the assault. Suddenly, another explosion. This time, the attackers were the one to receive the casualty.

"Oh hell yeah! Take that you maggots!" Boasted the aggressor. "Nobody's busting into this place while Domon's around."

A sigh of relief.

To stay in her office was not her decision. She wanted to get out there and fight. On most occasions, her husband would yield, but not this time. "You have to oversee the entire military, and the best place to do so is within the four corners of your office." Those were the words of the old man fighting just a few meters away from where she is. In a sense, Domon's right. A body without a brain is dead weight. Without a leader to keep the team focused, the military will surely crumble.

"It looks like you're in a pinch, general." An uwelcome visitor made an entrance from the shadows.

"Who?"

"Anxious?" Taunted the voice as the man robed in black revealed himself. "Now, do you understand the price of going against us?"

"You're pathetic." Fuuko quickly pointed her gun to the man, but just as she was about to pull the trigger, the man disappeared.

"We gave Kaima a noble chance to shape the world to our liking... but he failed." The man suddenly appeared behind Fuuko. It was a speed she never saw since her battle with the Tendou Jigoku. She quickly turned and pointed the gun behind her. Again, the man disappeared.

He's too fast. I can't even see his movements. It is as though I'm seeing visions.

"The price for your defiance is the entire nation you are currently serving in." The man now sitting on her desk, his chin leaning between his hands. "You cannot defeat us Fuuko. There is no one who can."

"For instance,"

Suddenly, the door to her office broke open. A woman dropped dead with gunshot on her forehead.

Doctor Morikawa!

The blonde haired girl she first met in Kurei's manor has grown to be a physician. She wasn't directly involved in the military. Yet the need for medics has grown dire that Japan had to resort to private practitioners. Ganko was among the first to sign up. Growing up without a mother and a father, Fuuko consequently filled in both roles. To lend her skills to the nation is perhaps her only means to repay the gratitude.

"It won't be long before you and that gorilla husband of yours share her fate."

"You monster!"

Fuuko pulled the trigger against the man in robes. This time, he did not avoid the shot. He took the bullet to the forehead and fell backwards on his back. He was motionless.

The general carefully approached the man. Just as she peeked over her desk, the body wasn't there.

"What the hell?"

Panic is beginning to replace her fear. "Where is he?"

"Right here." Hinted the man speaking behind her. Fuuko turned around swinging her arm, hoping to take out the neck of the hooded man. Just before her attack landed, the man swung his fist into her face, sending her flying into the wall, cracking it in the process.

Fuuko slowly fell to the ground, half-conscious.

_Impossible. Just now, his swing... It has the power of Dosei no wa..._

"You should not be surprised, Fuuko." The man confidently walked towards the general. "For the Hokage to be able to create madougus such as the Fuujin is a feat of its own. By now, you should know that there are certain limits of what man can create. Even the power of Tendou Jigoku is limited to the physical universe."

Fuuko was silent. Listening intently to the lecture as she composed herself.

"There are however, certain madougus that transcend the physical universe."

"Man can never create space." Hinted the assasssin. "Jigen Kai Gyoku... Mongamae... Two madougus that allows travel between the physical universe to the metaphysical realm... How was Kaima able to create such madougus?"

He pointed to his chest. "It was because of me."

"I am one of the Planewalkers."

"This city... It's all that is left of humanity?"

Zetto nodded. There were rumors before. The Doomsday theorists for instance, argued that there are 88 reasons why Jesus would be back in 1988. The second coming of Christ is believed by many as the sign of the end times. It never happened. Then there was the third millennium... The year 2000. Neither did it happen. In 2003, the Doomsayers attributing the Mayan calendar to another end of the world prophecy had barely surface. They too, swallowed their false prophecy in shame. This time however, the situation is different. The world has indeed ended... If by end one means the death of the planet.

"The Earth is now a barren wasteland."

"But how? What happened to mankind?"

"It was a detail only known by top officials of the government. Experiments such as me are not entitled to such knowledge."

Kaoru was silent. He wasn't so sure how to respond. Surely, Zetto was himself a victim of circumstances. He tried to live as a human, but not in the proper living conditions of a human.

"I'm sorry." The boy's voice soft, face downcast.

Zetto shook his head. "It can't be helped. With my appearance, there's no law to prohibit experiments on a demi-human."

Kaoru was about to say another word. Just as he was to open his mouth, the magnets that held him loosened, and he dropped to the ground.

"What's going on?"

Suddenly, the cell doors were opened. A figure casually walked in. A lady, about 5 feet tall with flowing green hair, glasses, and a peaceful smile. She was almost Korean in appearance. Her sleeves covered her arm to the wrists, and a long skirt to drape her lower body. The age, about 22 years old.

_Impossible! That person? Here? What is she doing at a place like this? What is she doing at a TIME like this?_

"Long time no see, Kaoru Koganei."

Kaoru couldn't believe his eyes. He appears to have seen a ghost.

"K-K-Kirito?"

Author's note: I've been pretty busy catching up with tech news since September that I wasn't able to allocate enough time for writing this fiction. As my work is closely related to the latest technologies, I need to keep myself up to date with all the devices that are coming out.

Also, that missing sense of fulfilment to see your work reach the masses is also an issue that is difficult to deny. Thus, priorities have to be properly considered.

As promised, the other Hokage will get their well-deserved limelight in Tomorrow's Children. The massive fanbase of ToFuu has made me consider both of them taking more significant roles than Recca.

This is certainly not the last time Fuuko will appear in a chapter. More to come... And of course, the other members of the Hokage will get their share of spotlight as well. :)

A brief refresher:

Jigen Kai Gyoku - Magensha's madougu used to open up a portal into the metaphysical realm.

Mongamae - Kadotsu's madougu that is paired with Mumyou in which the combination of both madougus can conjure various powers depending on the door root word in Chinese. This is difficult to explain in a few lines, but a look into how Kadotsu used them in the manga will quickly show what it can do.

Hope you like it!

Please R & R


	6. Episode 5 - Of Blood and Tears

"There are times when we are left only with bad choices. This [unintelligible] alive. [unintelligible] forgive [unintelligible]."

Final memoirs  
Recca Hanabishi  
Retrieved July 23, 2055  
Most parts of the memoir are consumed by fire.

"Come with me, Kaoru."

The boy wasn't so sure he could trust the woman. They have crossed swords before... and given the chance, she would've slaughtered both him and Joker. He was motionless, his eyes fixated on the Shishiten. "What are you doing at a time like this?"

"I suppose I would have to ask you the same question."

A tense silence swamped them both. None willing to give the other control over the situation.

"Kaoru, she's the director general of this city." Zetto interrupted, hoping to ease the tension. "She oversees the survival of the remaining humans in this planet."

"Director General?" Kaoru gave Zetto a surprised look, and quickly shifted his sight back to Kirito. "But how? This is four hundred years after SODOM."

"Come with me, Kaoru." Repeated the Shishiten. "There's a lot of things you need to know."

"I don't trust you."

"This is not a matter of whether you trust me or not, Kaoru. This is a matter of whether the humans trust ME... And whether I trust YOU."

The boy looked at Zetto, hoping to get a confirmation from the only person he could trust at that time. The zombie responded with a nod of approval. "Go with her, Koganei..."

Kaoru sighed. It's two on one. In terms of opinion at least. He got up and walked towards Kirito. Just before he leaves the cell, he gave Zetto one last glance.

"Don't worry about me. I'll be just fine."

Kirito gripped Kaoru's arm, nudging him. "Let's go now."

**Episode 5 - Of Blood and Tears**

"Where are we going?" Asked Kaoru, breaking the silence as they walked from one hallway to the next.

"To the stasis chamber."

Kaoru simply returned a puzzled look. What in the world is the stasis chamber? Sensing the confusion, Kirito explained further. "It's a place where we study black holes."

"Black holes? For what?"

"Do you remember that time when we fought each other in SODOM?" Kirito paused, waiting for Kaoru's confirmation. The boy nodded. "After you left, Kadotsu and Joker impaled each other. In a last ditch of effort to beat Kadotsu, Joker added gravity upon gravity. After a certain amount of iteration, the gravity becomes so strong that it created a black hole."

Kirito paused anew, looking at Kaoru in the eye, making sure that the boy gets the point. "Joker and Kadotsu were swallowed by the hole, and they both disappeared into it... Then the hole closed."

_Joker... so when I felt his presence erratic moments after I left the room, he was dealt a fatal wound._

"Stephen Hawking, the great physicist theorized in his book A Brief History of Time that time travel can be achieved by creating enough gravity pull to bend the very fabric of time... And only black holes could fit this description. Aware of this incident, Tokiya Mikagami spent the last decade of his life researching black holes. He gathered the remains of the Teishaku Kaiten and attempted to reconstruct it."

"Did he succeed?"

Kirito shook her head. "It was impossible with what he has. The madougu has some strange property in it." Kirito paused for a moment, looking up and thinking.

"For instance, Shiguma. It was a madougu that lives in another dimension. I'm sure you've seen it rip open a space and crashing into our universe."

She's right. I've never thought of that before.

"The same is true with Jigen Kai Gyoku and Mongamae."

"I haven't heard of those. What are they?"

"Oh right. You were not present in the battle against Magensha and Kadotsu. They are madougus as well that allow travel between different dimensions."

Kaoru nodded. "What is the point you're driving at?"

"The property of Teishaku Kaiten was different. It was crafted with the full intention of creating gravity fields. When we studied the madougu, there was absolutely no hint that the creator intend for it to generate a hole into another dimension."

Kirito paused again, checking to see if Kaoru could still follow the train of logic. She seems to have lost the boy. "Should I repeat myself from the very beginning?"

"No, go ahead. I'll get it in the end."

"We need to be able to recreate that black hole, Kaoru."

"Why?"

"That black hole was proven to have an uncanny ability to allow both space and time travel."

"WHAT?"

"And what's more, it does not have the side effects of Jikuryuuri."

"How did you know about them?"

Kirito stopped walking. Just as Kaoru realized it, she was standing next to a door. Grabbing the knob, she turned to Kaoru, "Because of this."

Kirito opened the door and welcomed Kaoru with a frightful sight. What he saw is not foreign to him. A man with black tank tops, white hair, white pants... It could be none other than Joker... Swimming in the pool of his own blood. His entire body was black and blue in bruises and bumps. It was a human disfigured beyond imagination.

"JOKER!" Kaoru yelled as he ran to the corpse. Kirito quickly grabbed his arm to stop him. "It's useless." Kaoru struggled to let loose. "Did you bring me here to witness the barbaric method by which he is killed?" Kaoru yelled, his eyes burning in anger.

"Calm down Kaoru. How could you think clearly when emotions are getting the better of you?"

"You're asking me to calm down? Somebody's swimming in the pool of his own blood down there! You did this didn't you?"

"If I did it, why would I leave the body there? I should've been the first to clean it up. Besides, why would I show it to you? How will it benefit me to showcase my crime in broad daylight?"

Kaoru was silent. Kirito made sense. "But who did this?"

"One of the Planewalkers for all I know."

"Planewalkers?"

"Have you ever thought of where the Hokage learned their secret arts? How the Flame Masters began to exist, and how every 400 years a healing lady is born?"

"I've never thought of that before."

"The Planewalkers are beings that literally walk across planes and bend its laws of nature... Planes of reality... Such as our universe... And of course, others as well."

"Like God?"

"Yes like God, but lesser. We don't know of their origins, but what we know for sure is that they are the one's responsible for Hokage's entire history."

Kirito buried her hand into her pocket and brought out a music player.

"Listen to this."

"You should not be surprised, Fuuko. For the Hokage to be able to create madougus such as the Fuujin is a feat of its own. By now, after spending so much time in the presence of madougus, you should know that there are certain limits to what man can create. Even the power of Tendou Jigoku is limited to the physical universe."

"Hey Kirito, did I hear it right? The guy is talking to Fuuko? As in Fuuko Kirisawa?"

The Shishiten nodded.

"There are however, certain madougus that transcend the physical universe. Man can never create space. Jigen Kai Gyoku... Mongamae... Two madougus that allows travel between the physical universe to the metaphysical realm... How was Kaima able to create such madougus? It was because of me. I am one of the Planewalkers."

Kirito paused the recording, looking straight into Kaoru's eyes. "This recording goes all the way back to the Year 2062." Kaoru's heart began to pound faster. "The voice whom you just heard is that of Miles, the Planewalker of space."

Kaoru felt a cold shiver. He wasn't so sure where it came from or what caused it. Certainly, it isn't something good.

"Kaoru, please listen further." Kirito pressed the play button again, and the recording continues.

"Why did you Planewalkers show yourself just now? You have decades, centuries even if you wanted to tear this world asunder."

Miles smiled. It isn't a surprise that someone would ask the very question thrown at him. "Let's just say that we need to rid the world of any remains of the Hokage." The robed man strolled casually in the office, explaining his point. "You see, the Hokage is simply an experiment. We weren't sure to what extent our powers can work... And so we waited for centuries to find a secret society that would be almost unrecorded in history. We lent our powers to Kokuu and Kaima. It was all part of the plan. To lend our powers only to one means that no competition would be born... with two, it creates rivalry... Strife... Hatred."

"Guess what happened, Fuuko." The man grinned... A show of victory. "Our plans were executed smoothly."

"And what do you think about the Flames of Recca? The Jikuryuuri, and Yanagi's healing power?"

Fuuko's eyes widened. "You can't mean..."

The man interrupted with a sadistic laugh. "Their powers too, are provided for by the Planewalkers."

"And now, Miss Kirisawa..." The Planewalker picked up the gun that dropped from Fuuko's hand and pointed it at the general, still on the ground. "I'm afraid our conversation is over."

Then there was a gunshot... then another... Then a handful more, until empty clicks could be heard from the music player.

And then... a few seconds... of silence.

"What happened?!" Kaoru cried. "Who shot who?"

Kirito looked down and closed her eyes. "The day was December 8, 2062. That day, Fuuko Kirisawa, the last general of Japan, died of multiple gunshot wounds."

Tears began to moist the boy's cheeks. "Nooo..." The boy whined softly, his voice broken. Kaoru began to sob, covering his eyes with both hands as he knelt to the floor.

Kirito watched the boy next to her. She knew the pain he had to endure listening to the recording... But it has to be done. Only then will Kaoru understand the gravity of the situation. It was not to her liking to have him listen to it, but she's left with little choice. He has to know. He is the only hope...

"I'm sorry, Kaoru."

The boy didn't budge. He simply stayed down and wept. To learn that a friend would be killed in a brutal fashion was too much for his gentle heart to bottle up.

Suddenly, a loud noise echoed around the room. It was the sound of a machine broken into pieces.

"That sound," Kirito explained, "is the sound of the Planewalker destroying the recorder. He wasn't aware that Fuuko assumed the worst and turned on the recorder as soon as Miles appeared in her office."

"Listen, Kaoru." Commanded the Director, making sure that the boy would turn his ears attentively. "It was a great error on the part of Miles to reveal those details to Fuuko. Because of what he did, we were able to contain his violence."

"Kaoru, Fuuko was central in thwarting the Planewalkers. You should be proud."

A clanking sound suddenly interrupted their conversation.

"What's that?" Kirito cried, alerting her partner. Kaoru was wiping his tears with his arm. "Kaoru, be alert. Something's not right here."

Again, another clanking sound. Kirito suddenly remembered. "The Teishaku Kaiten!" She quickly turned her attention to Joker. The man now standing, looking at them like a zombie.

Before both of them could react, Joker pointed the trident and fired a gravity ball to Kirito. The Shishiten instinctively defended herself with her arms... One second. Two seconds… Nothing happened. To her surprise, she wasn't harmed.

"What the?"

She turned to Kaoru, the boy also in shock, looking behind her.

"The door!"

"GRAVITY+" Yelled the animated corpse.

Kirito looked behind her, an powerful field of gravity started sucking everything in its vicinity. She had no time to escape. "Shi-" the director was pulled out of the door, and with her, the door shut tight. Kaoru quickly ran to the door to pull it open. Kirito is locked out... With the gravity ball remaining intact, both to keep Kirito from moving and the door shut tight. "Darn it! If only Kadotsu was here... How could I let my guard down!?"

"It's no use Kaoru." Joker advised. "My gravity ball is too strong for you to break with your physical strength."

Like the wind, the gravity master quickly closed his gap with Kaoru. Feeling the killing aura, Kaoru feigned to the right as Joker swings the trident. "It's useless!"

Blood broke out from Kaoru's side... and the boy dropped to the ground, covering his wound with his hand to contain the bleeding.

_He used a gravity ball to keep me in place before slashing me._

"There's going to be round 2 after all." Quipped the Jyushinshu.

End of Episode 5.

Author's notes:

A few things I'd like to share about why I often use Kaoru as the main character of my fic.

Apartr from him being my favorite FOR character, he forces me to be creative with his underpowered madougu. It is with no doubt that the Kougan Anki is "just another weak madougu" as what the mad doctor would've put it in SODOM. Then he proceeded to name the better ones-Fuujin, Dosei no Wa, Ensui.

Further, his combat ability shows that he's the best of the Hokage. This is evident in his fight against Tokiya and Shiju where he danced around, transforming his madougu mid-air... Or even catching the boomerang even before it "boomeranged"

Tokiya would simply swing his sword and various ice based attacks would manifest. Fuuko would do the same. Even Recca's fights are not as intellectually heavy. Domon is a joke lol.

Kaoru's battle with Kamui for instance, required him to be creative and use the Tomoshibis. His battle with Gaou required him to survive against all odds. In the manga, Kaoru is the only one who never had the "I have a new power up in the middle of the battle" to win. Even the sixth form, Mu, required him to think about how to brandish it out right in the middle of a battle. He had to think in order to win... This weakness allows me to turn it to creativity (ex. His fight with the Twin Shikigamis)

So yup, I hope the fight scenes both on War of the Ancient World and Tomorrow's Children reflects that attribute. If it did, then at least I'll be happy to say that it was a good job after all.

Of course, I hope the next chapter-Kaoru vs Joker will live up to the ideals from which I made this fic.

Thanks Ushi as always for the review :) I thought I should make a few comments too.

- It would be a great thing if I made it ToFuu but... I can't see it happening in the canon... Unfortunately, tough decisions have to be made sometimes. Sorry about that hahahaha. Still, this is not the last of Fuuko... I've got a lot of things running on my mind now, just need to put them into words :)

- For some reason, some of the texts I wrote on MS Word don't work on . I'm sure it worked before because the first fic I wrote is displayed with divider. (That was 14 years ago iirc)

- I probably should at least estimate when the next chapter would come out so that I won't leave anyone a cruel cliffhanger without knowing when the next one will come out. :D

I expect the next chapter to be finished in mid January, once I'm done with all the Christmas stuff. :)

Merry Christmas!


	7. Episode 6 - Gray Gravity Grave

_"Which is better? To believe a noble lie, or to know a horrible truth?"_

_Raiha__  
__Self-reflections__  
__April 1, 2011_

Kaoru slowly got back up to his feet, still covering the open wound on his side. It was the first time Joker injured him for real. In their previous encounter at the Urabutou Satsujin, it became evident to him post-match that the Trump Card had no intention of taking his life. He simply wanted to fight the only other person dear to Kurei. This time however, it's different. None of Joker's appearance show any hint of humanity. He looks as though he is possessed... By what, Kaoru has yet to know. Normally, Joker would have a smile on his face by now. But the walking corpse seems to have no feeling at all. He moves without a will. Or rather, he moves without his OWN will.

Almost by reflex, just as he is recovering from the attack, Kaoru looked past the corpse and noticed an old man behind him. He's about five feet tall. Sporting a spiky, horseshoe hairstyle. His back is against the boy with hands crossed behind the back. Japanese slippers, beach shorts, Hawaiian shirt. A familiar sight he hasn't seen for a while.

_Kokuu! What is he doing here?_

"Koganei..." the old man began, "it's just so sad that things would end up this way..."

Kaoru's heart began to race.

_What's going on? What is he talking about? Joker's not responding to the voice. Am I the only one who can hear the old man?_

_A VISION!? AGAIN?_

The flame dragon reached for his sunglasses with his left hand. Taking it off, he turned around. As he does so, his human form faded while his dragon form took shape.

Torrents of light quickly compressed into a fireball at the dragon's mouth. Looking straight at Kaoru, Kokuu unleashed his signature beam cannon. Kaoru quickly covered himself with his other arm, shading his eyes and body from the incoming blast.

There was a bright light.

A flash...

Then nothing.

As Kaoru opened his eyes to assess the damage, the flame master was gone. There was no dragon... No beam cannon. It was indeed, another vision.

**Episode 6 - Gray Gravity Grave**

Joker raised his weapon vertically, preparing to impale the boy who is still lying on the ground. Kaoru wasted no time in response and quickly nipped up and squatted, ready to jump away from the trident.

"Gravity (-)!"

_Not again!_

The boy was pushed up into the direction of the spear, too late for him to jump away. He quickly turned around and stretched his leg while extending his hand towards the Teishaku Kaiten. In the nick of time, he grabbed the dull portion of the spear and used it as a leverage for his counter-attack. He quickly pulled his body to the spear. With the force of anti-gravity still in effect, both forces increased the power of his leg. His heels struck Joker's chin, and the enemy was thrown upwards.

Landing on his two legs, Kaoru quickly jumped up to follow through. Just as he reaches Joker, he spinned mid-air and axe kicked the man to the ground.

Kaoru landed on his feet, surveying the damage he dealt to his nemesis. The man lays face first on the ground. Motionless.

_Is that it?_

Halfway in his observation, Kaoru suddenly felt a stinging pain from the kicking leg. He stretched his leg out and turned to it. _A thin red line. Blood._

_I have a cut? But Joker never struck that part of my body?!_

Another clanking sound.

_He's up!_

Kaoru quickly shifted his attention to the corpse, jumping in for another attack to subdue the trump card. Joker raised the trident to block the boy. Kaoru's leg, aimed at Joker's face was masterfully repelled by the spear. Using the force as a leverage, Kaoru jumped away, making sure that there's enough distance between them for him to react from a counter-attack.

Kaoru landed on both feet bending down, as though a runner preparing for the initial boost of a marathon.

He didn't strike back! Is he still disoriented?

No time to think!

Kaoru jumped in again, hoping to land a clean blow this time. He swings his leg, aiming at Joker's left ear. To strike the ear is to strike imbalance. If he succeeds, he is almost certain to stop the corpse on its tracks. Joker raised his arm in the nick of time, blocking the next blow perfectly.

"I'm not yet finished!"

Using the arm as a leverage, Kaoru spinned behind Joker and landed a kick with his other leg at the back of Joker's head. If he can't take out his balance, he would send the corpse unconscious-a contingency measure.

Joker fell face first to the ground again, and Kaoru distanced himself as usual. And as he does, he noticed another cut appeared on his leg. "What the heck?" He whispered. "I'm sure he wasn't able to use his madougu this time. Am I overlooking something?"

The Jyushinshuu slowly rose once more, pushing himself up with the trident.

_My attacks are strong enough to put a person like him to sleep. How was he able to get back up like it's nothing?_

Kaoru stared at Joker a few feet away, quietly observing and pondering the situation.

_He doesn't exhibit the property of Tendou Jigoku... But on its own, a dead body can't just move around like that._

"Gravity (+)!"

_Shit! What was I doing standing still?_

The boy suddenly felt his weight doubled. Joker dashed in, holding his trident as though it was a spear. In response, Kaoru squatted. Just before the madougu open up more wounds, he used all his strength to jump aside. The Jyushinshuu missed the boy by a hair's breadth and went through, striking nothing but air.

As Kaoru landed, he felt another trace of blood crawling out of his leg. "The same cut as the previous two..."

_A dead corpse... Moving as though it were alive..._

_Small cuts of the same size when I'm moving near him..._

Joker continued his assault, jumping into Kaoru with the trident pointed at his prey. Kaoru followed the man with his eyes. Something is not right. The area where he struck Joker remained dislocated. Joker was actually fighting him while looking at another angle.

_He's attacking me… yet he's not even looking at me! Could it be...?_

Just as Joker was a few feet above him, something behind the Jyushinshuu sparkled. It was several meters above, situated at the roof of the room. A yellow orb with the Chinese word 'shape'.

_That's it! Kata Kugutsu!_

Kaoru positioned himself both to defend against the incoming danger and to disarm the marionette madougu. He crouched and moved his body sidewards, preparing another leap. This time, to use Joker as a leverage to push him up.

The boy leaped forward, facing his foe who is still diving in for the kill.

"Gravity (+)!" Yelled the trump card. The boy's weight suddenly doubled, and he quickly fell back to the ground before reaching his enemy. Landing on both feet, he immediately felt the pressure of gravity pulling him down. This time, he crouched down, putting both hands on the floor as an anchor.

Just before Joker makes any damage, Kaoru spinned on the ground to avoid the impact of the trident. Midway, he extended his leg and struck Joker's side, sending the corpse flying a few feet away.

Kaoru quickly positioned himself to a squatting position, gathering all his might to his legs to jump up.

"This is my chance!"

He loosened himself from the ground and quickly elevated upwards. Kaoru extended his arms midway, getting ready to grab the sphere as soon as he is high enough.

"GOTCHA!"

Kaoru landed with the madougu on his hand. He quickly held it against the ground and stepped on the strings. To stop Joker, one has to pull out the strings connecting the madougu and the puppet. The boy looked at his opponent one last time. It was, in his thought, the conclusion of their second showdown.

"It was great fighting with you, pal."

Kaoru gripped the ball tightly and pulled it up. Detaching all the strings from the madougu. Joker's movements stopped... and that was it. Kaoru claimed the victor's crown a second time.

_If the one fighting me was the real Joker, I wouldn't have been able to win this. Whoever was controlling him is unable to replicate his fighting prowess._

Kaoru walked towards the door casually. It's about time he's reunited with Kirito. He touched the knob and pulled it.

Nothing.

"What the heck?"

Again, he pulled the knob, attempting to open the door a second time.

Nothing still.

"What's going on!?"

Suddenly, an oppressive presence manifested nearby. His felt his limbs numbing and fear gripping him once more.

_What the!? The same pressure I felt in the church! He's here!_

As Kaoru looked behind him, there stood a total stranger of seven feet, staring him down. His entire body is encased with armor. None of his skin is visible from the outside. His gears are made purely of diamond... And it would not be possible for him to move without his highly muscular body to carry it. His helmet is stretched with two horns, as though a bull. His gauntlets and footguards are littered with little spikes, as though a blowfish. His breastplate, a clean slate of diamond, yet a few dents around the belly area could be seen. They appear to be minor damages he sustained in previous battles. It was of no surprise. With the kind of person he is, battle is his second nature. Yet he wore no weapons. With a powerful aura he emits, his entire body is no doubt, the only weapon he needs. Everything about him spelled terror. He was, to most people, a man nobody wants to be enemies with.

"Didn't I tell you?" The man spoke, his voice thundering. "Your physical strength is incapable of breaking that gravity. It wasn't Joker who's using the Teishaku Kaiten. It's me."

Kaoru turned around, still trembling before the massive pressure towering over him. With lightning speed, the man swings his arm against Kaoru's body. Striking his wounded side with a massive force from his diamond coated arm. The boy absorbed the full blunt of the blow and was thrown against the wall at the opposite side of the room.

"I am Diamond, the Planewalker of Power. It's nice to meet you, little Hokage."

Kaoru crashed to the ground, his eyes shut tight and mouth half open, uttering moans of misery as he holds his side with both arms.

"I'm going to say this only once, Kaoru Koganei. Join me, and I will make you my lieutenant. Refuse, and I will destroy this planet including everyone living in it."

The Planewalker walked towards Joker. The trident being the focus of his intent. Bending down, he picked up Joker's prized madougu. "You have 72 hours kid. I'll wait for you at the southern crater."

With that, the Planewalker walked away, bringing the madougu with him. He fades into the shadows with every step… and in a matter of seconds, the oppressive pressure vanished. He was completely gone-A power none other than Eikai Gyoku's.

Kaoru let loose a gentle sigh of relief. Back there, he immediately realized the great difference in strength between them. When they meet again, will he have enough power and courage to stand up against the Planewalker? In three days, he had to be able to answer it positively. As to how it can be done, the answer is elusive.

Then, the sound of an opening door drew his attention. The person he's waiting to be reunited with presented herself... and then, another sigh...

It was after all, a long day.

**End of Episode 6.**

Author's notes:

Please Rate and Review :)

Knowing that there are people who are constantly following and enjoying this fic will encourage me to make more frequent releases. I'm not writing this to fish for reviews (it was never my intention). Only that it will be a mutual benefit. Y'know, like I'll get more excited and free up more time for writing this over other stuff… and whoever is following this fic will not be starved of cliffhangers. :) :)

Kata Kugutsu - the puppet madougu used mainly by Ganko Morikawa. It has two known abilities: (1) to animate an object it's attached to and (2) to control anything attached to its strings. Diamond was using the second one.

I was actually looking forward to use Kata Kugutsu on War of the Ancient World but I realized that there's nowhere it could be incorporated. This one however, was a perfect opportunity... :) :)

A few mumblings about the episode's title. I normally write this fic on my way home from the office. As I was minding my own business, I thought that this chapter would be about a dead Joker fighting Kaoru. Thus, the word gravity and grave came to mind. As to how grave came out instead of say... Zombie... I dunno. Lol. Now Gravity Grave doesn't sound right... And for no reason, I slapped in the word Gray. Why? Well cuz it sounded cool to me that's all. :D

After finishing this chapter though, a thought came to mind. I realized that I actually planned something in advance before typing this chapter... And the word Gray fits it perfectly. As to what it is... The next few chapters will be bringing it to light... And, once the reader re-read this chapter, perhaps about five to ten chapters down the road, he'll remember why the word Gray appeared in an unlikely place. :) :)

Please pray that I may not lose the free time allotted to write this fic. Nobody knows what the future holds, but so far, I still have the ideas and time.

Next episode will be out at roughly the **fourth week of January**. Although of course, if I can bring it out sooner, I will.

Ushi  
I usually have a reliable friend in Microsoft Word to help me with spell checks... Although as I was proof reading one of the chapters I thought some typos have slipped my eyes. Soo… guess Only MS Word is reliable. I'm definitely not. :p

Thanks also for pointing out the discontinuity. That was actually the hardest part writing that chapter. When I was writing that part, I was wrestling with the thought exactly as you have pointed out. Are you a mind reader? Haha! At the same time, I was thinking of how to weave the remaining segments of Fuuko's story that I have left hanging in the chapter before that. If I go with the former, I will surely lose some detail in describing what happened. If I go with the latter, I'll risk losing the continuity, which you have pointed out haha! Aaahhh choices. XD

I'll certainly try to spend more time pondering on that on the following chapters... Especially that Domon, Tokiya, Recca AND Yanagi are still waiting to for their chapters to see the light of day. (Again, and of course, more of Fuuko is waiting to see the limelight. :D)

Thanks for being a constant encouragement. Your uplifting reviews are making every update possible... And I mean it with deep sincerity. :D


	8. Episode 7 - Project Messiah

_We have tried to avert the crisis. Yet, at the eighth of September, 2054, our worst fears has come. The Planewalkers are crafty in their deceit. Even the smartest and the most resilient of world leaders have fallen prey into their lies. For who, among men, desires to be subdued when the other option they have is power? Why would one choose death when a life of power and glory is offered alongside?_

_America... England... Germany... They were fooled. Fooled into thinking that by submitting to the will of the Planewalkers, they would gain back the former glory of their nations. Half a century ago, they were among the world's richest. Now, they have fallen from their zenith. They weren't destroyed by their wisdom. They were destroyed by running their nations as though God isn't watching._

_Wisdom, when not tempered with proper morals, will descend to corruption. And where there is corruption, there awaits anarchy._

_We are the last of mankind's protectors on Earth. People used to call us scientists... engineers... doctors. Words that elevate names to a higher platform over many. They see us as those who advance humankind through research and technology. Yet now, those words mean nothing. For what use is it when there's no one left to appreciate your title? To thank you for your contributions to society? They are after all, just words. Titles, which people seek... yet, when all is stripped away... when everyone is equally dancing with death, they mean nothing._

_Humankind used to thirst for power. Now... They thirst for life._

_Tokiya Mikagami__  
__Theoretical Physicist__  
__Final Memoirs__  
__December 6, 2062_

Switzerland, once the envy of the world for being among the wealthiest of nations. Who could resist their mouth-watering chocolates? Or who could deny the pristine beauty of the watches they manufacture? At every angle, whoever is born into this nation is sure to be among the world's luckiest. If one would have a word to describe the nation, it's this-luxury.

Switzerland also did not fall short in her contributions to humanity's progress. House beneath its lush grasslands and first-class infrastructures is a massive colony of scientists, keeping the doors to progress open in a facility known to the world as CERN.

At the death of the renowned physicist Stephen Hawking, none was able to rival his contributions. Not until twenty years later when one man emerged from the districts of Tokyo. One who is capable of competing with his intellect, even surpassing him. That man, was Tokiya Mikagami. Director of CERN from 2040-2063.

**Episode 7 - Project Messiah**

Tokiya was busy jamming his fingers at his laptop within the confines of his office. It was just another day's work for him. Yet his role has definitely shifted from being a lead physicist to a doomsday prepper, as what Discovery Channel would've put it in one of their shows.

Asia is the last bastion of defense against the relentless assault masterminded by the Planewalkers. Who would've thought that the nation overseeing nuclear disarmament is the one armed to the teeth? America spearheaded the war with one nuke after the other, wiping out the entire landmass of the Arab world in three years' time. Of course, sympathizers of the victim wouldn't take it in without a fight. There, another world war was inevitable.

In those days, the most precious commodity wasn't oil or diamonds. It was land. Human population have swelled to a rate where the world has descended into natural selection. The stronger race gobbled up the weak.

Claiming to be Angels of God, the Planewalkers arrived to the Land of the Free with false prophecies and counterfeit miracles, armed with the full knowledge of the world's crisis. They knew that men have grown too strong for them to rule over. Even the God of the Bible once decided to tear down the Tower of Babel to repress man's collective might. If there's one thing the Planewalkers have as their trump card, it was their ability to bend nature. It is intrinsic in man that once he is wowed, he often becomes an intellectual captive of the wower. All that the Planewalkers need to do is to herald a new scripture, backed up by their powers... and with that, America, once the greatest nation in the world, was the first to believe their deception.

Switzerland has been all but wiped out. That once economic juggernaut of Europe has not escaped the advance of the Planewalkers. With its demise, so did CERN, Tokiya's institution.

Among the nations of the world, there stood one surrounded by more bodies of water than anywhere else. In a growing need for every man to be provided for with water, this land in the far east has been the prime choice to house refugees. Tokiya Mikagami and his band of scientists was among them. That place... was the Pearl of the Orient.

CERN 2  
Manila, Philippines  
December 8, 2062, 2:45PM

"What's this? A new instant message?"

_The Planewalkers have breached the fortified city of Tokyo. Things are not looking good._

_- Jennifer Del Mundo_

Tokiya brushed his hair with his fingers-clearly, a nonverbal display of disappointment. His personal secretary has just delivered the news he never wanted to read. A little over half a decade ago, he lost one of his closest comrades in battle, Recca Hanabishi. Many others followed in constant stream, either by old age or as a casualty of war. This day, he figured he might soon be losing two more.

Since their exodus from CERN, Tokiya and the entire organization has been busy with their preparations for the world's end. The planet as it stands will definitely die. Either all humankind will perish in the war, or those who survive will die of nuclear poisoning. The death of the planet is already an event waiting to happen. None of their efforts would be sufficient to elude the incoming peril... and so, to him, the next best thing to do is to rest the hope of humanity to the Martians. No, not the aliens. Rather, the small human settlement that seeded the planet back in 2035.

Tokiya leaned back on his chair, recalling the last time he had met up with the rest.

August 5, 2054

"Israel is at the brink." Fuuko spoke as her voice quivered. "If we don't do something, they will eventually invade Japan... and everyone else will be killed."

Tokiya watched in silence. Seated on his left was Recca. Before them was Fuuko and her husband. Each had a cup of coffee, almost untouched for the entire duration of their meeting.

"You saw what they did to Israel." Fuuko added. "The Jews held on to Yahweh. Not one believed in the false gods of the Americans... and so they remained neutral in the war." The general paused, looking at the eyes of Recca and Tokiya. "They thought they would be spared, being a longtime ally of the west. Look at them now. Trapped within the confines of Jerusalem, deprived of both water and food. Every one of them will be killed, either by malnourishment, or by violence."

"Being neutral will get us nowhere." Domon added.

Recca responded with a deep sigh. He understood the situation perfectly. If Japan were to ally with the Americans, she would red her hands in the blood of the innocent. It is taboo in Japanese culture to violate one's honor in favor of life. History is replete with this. The Bushido, even the Kamikaze. Recca was not about to agree allying with the Americans. Not this time. Yet he also knew that if they wouldn't side with the juggernaut from the west, war is inevitable. They saw Israel, squeezed out to die as a neuter. The Arab world, defying the Planewalkers and ended up paying the price.

To remain neutral is simply to prolong the inevitable. Japan, like all the other nations in the world will ultimately be dragged into the war.

"There's still another option." Tokiya spoke, breaking the awkward silence. "We have to negotiate with the Americans. If they listen to us, then we may still have a chance to stop this madness."

"With whom? Miles?" Deflected Fuuko. "All those who went against their ruler was executed. America today isn't the same nation of our youth. Democracy is gone. That nation is ran by bloodthirsty savages who desires nothing more than to take the entire world as theirs."

"You can't say for sure, Fuuko. Nobody has ever tried. Who knows what will happen?"

Domon slipped in a piece of paper to the table. Slowly pushing it towards the physicist. "Fuuko and I had been anticipating your point of view, Mi-chan... and believe me, we thought about it long and hard."

"What's this?" Tokiya asked as he picked up the paper.

"It's a letter to the alliance from the Dalai Lama." Fuuko introduced as Tokiya began browsing the wall of text. Recca quietly glanced at his seatmate. His energetic youth has since left him. Now in his sixties, he had become among those who had to complain of various body pains.

There was a moment's silence as the physicist reads the letter. On some occasions, they could see him twitch. At times, he would drop his jaw, only to cover it with his palm. At one time, he was also about to bite his nails until he probably realized it abit late and stopped.

"I don't believe this!" Tokiya exclaimed. Baffled.

"That was just a week ago. Look at what happened to Tibet." Fuuko hinted.

Recca broke his own silence, jumping into the conversation. "You can't mean? Tibet was attacked by the British because of that letter?"

The general responded with a nod. "What's inside that letter is an early attempt for negotiation. The Dalai Lama was hoping he could stop the madness by discussing the matter like responsible adults."

"And the first thing the enemy did was to invade his nation and parade his corpse in the streets." Domon added.

"I don't believe this!" Tokiya repeated. "What's in this letter is almost the exact things I want to say to them."

"You see, Tokiya, we are left with little option." Fuuko submitted. There was, in actuality, none. It's war, or war.

"Guys, I'm sorry. I didn't call you all in today to unload my burdens on you." Fuuko spoke in a soft, subdued voice. "But please... Promise me that you'll stand by me, and the ideals we're fighting for. This is not just for Japan... But for the entire world."

"I always will." Announced Domon as he stretched his hand with his palm face down.

"Fuuko, we've been through hell and back. Count me in."

Recca too, stretched his hand and placed it on top of Domon's. Mikagami gave a gentle smile as he looked at Fuuko. At the moment their eyes met, he gave a small nod. One of affirmation. He too, piled his hand on top of the other two. The general, the person who holds the greatest stake in all these smiled, tears slowly crawling out from her eyes. "Thank you... everyone." With that, she placed her hand on top of the others.

It was like this when they first teamed up at the Urabutou Satsujin. How fast time flies. They were in their teens back then. Time has proven incapable of severing that friendship. They once fought together for Yanagi. This time, it's for the planet.

Tokiya ended his flashback with a tearful eye. With both his hands, he wiped his eyes starting from the nose outwards. "I never wanted this day to come... Yet here it is."

The physicist jammed his fingers to his laptop a second time. The instant message from his personal secretary has yet to be replied to.

"Jennifer, please tell everyone to gather around the war room in ten minutes."

He paused, made a deep breath, and began typing again.

"Project Messiah will commence."

End of Episode 7.

Author's notes:

Wow I never thought this chapter would span 2000 words, but it did. I was writing this yesterday and suddenly, for some weird bug in Evernote, I actually lost the entire chapter and was replaced by Chapter 8!

Gaaaaahh!

Good thing that I have no internet connection when that happened and therefore, I was able to partially retrieve this chapter from my online backup. If I had internet access that time, Evernote will automatically replace that document and I havw to rewrite this from scratch. Whew!

I browsed a couple of fics recently and noticed that pairings are not really the way it seemed to me. I thought ToFuu, for instance, means romantic relationship between the two. Yet it turns out it's not so much as the name implies (although I'm sure a lot of fics out there has that). Instead, it appeared to me that as long as there's a point in the story where two characters are working closely together, it can also be attributed as such.

If my analysis is correct, then this fic is primarily Kaoru x Kirito and a bit of ToFuu.

Since I was able to finish this chapter earlier than planned, the next chapter will still roughly be at the fourth week of January.

Ushi

Thanks again for the review. All the best in your master's exam. About fictionpress, no not really I don't have an account there. I very seldom write stories from scratch (maybe I should consider doing one). I could recall two, but both of them are non-english which, when translated to english, won't do justice to the culture they represent haha.

All my fanfictions are Flame of Recca except one, which is for Hunter x Hunter. When I was half my age I thoroughly enjoyed those fics and would reread them time and again long after they have been published. Now, as I paid them a visit, I felt really uncomfortable with the grammar and storytelling hahahaha!

When I was young, my personal favorite was Perfect World, which surprisingly exists here to this day. It was written when Flame of Recca was just at volume 23 and I was 14. Now, my favorite work is definitely Tomorrrow's Children. Hopefully I could maintain the passion to put all my ideas into writing.

Btw, Do you write at fictionpress as well?


	9. Episode 8 - Death of the Planet

Tokiya buried his face between his palms. Anxiety. Despair. Those roaring emotions when one is backed to a corner. It took him a few seconds maintaining that posture... and then, slowly, he pulled his hands down. They were sweating... coldly. Fear grows in his heart. Sometimes, it's really tough being a leader. With simple matters, making decisions is a breeze. Yet on something as big as Project Messiah, he is putting the entire world's population on the line. In ten minutes, he is about to remind everyone in CERN 2 about the project. They have discussed this before, but none wanted it to see the light of day.

He rummaged around his files until he found a thin folder containing his speech. One he prepared months before and one which he also, would rather avoid. Yet, the time has come. To further avoid it is no longer an option.

Tokiya joined his fists together and bowed down, leaning his forehead next to his index fingers.

"Sovereign Lord, if it is at all possible, take this cup away from me. Yet not my will, but Yours be done."

A short prayer, echoed by the physicist from the First Century Nazarene. The night before Christ surrendered his life to pardon the sins of many, He made that prayer in Gethsemane. It was His death, according to the Christians, that opened up the doors of Salvation to mankind. Drawing inspiration from this event, Tokiya named the project Messiah - meaning The Christ. It was allegorical, in hopes that their sacrifice-the last protectors of the world, would bring about the salvation they will not live long enough to see.

He stood up, carrying his laptop and his prepared speech on one hand and breezed away. The time for his speech is about to begin.

**Episode 8 - Death of the Planet**

"Brothers and sisters. Good afternoon."

His pleasantries were greeted with sarcastic smiles and murmurs. Everybody knew that the afternoon wasn't good. Not in the past several years.

"The day that we all sought to avoid has come." He began. Taking a deep breath before continuing. "I am deeply aware that no one wants this to happen. We have debated this endlessly in the past. Still to this day, I'm sure there are still those who thought we could've done otherwise."

Tokiya reached for the clicker and moved to the next slide of his presentation.

"As you may all remember, we developed Project Messiah as a gamble. Yet this is the only reasonable gamble with the highest possible chance of success." He paused, looking around to anticipate any heckles. There was none. "I'm sure many of you won't take my word for what it is. After all, we're almost all scientists here."

His quip was greeted with a few smothered laughs. They're scientists alright... And if they would be convinced, they have to see the data. Clicking to move on to the next slide, the physicist presented the crowd with a complex graph.

"... and so here's the computation backing my claim."

Again, more laughter.

"I'm quite surprised you can still share a few giggles in the midst of this crisis. Even at our deathbeds, we remain resilient and true to our being." Tokiya revealed a giggle of his own before turning serious again. "Now going back to the main point, I'd like to remind you all of the plan."

Another click.

"Project Messiah is composed of five phases. First, we will fill up the Messiah with water that can last a city for several hundred years."

Tokiya began as he pointed to a gigantic rocket ship with the word Messiah engraved on its side.

"The supplies team will be responsible for making sure this happens. If we need to dry up the West Philippine Sea to make this happen, so it be."

Click.

"Next, the archive team will compile all the information we have learned about the Planewalkers and put them in the Rocket Ship. This is the only way the Martians can prepare a strategy for the incoming threat. There is no doubt that the Planewalkers will be going there too to eradicate what's left of humanity"

Click.

"Doctor Kirito," Tokiya paused, looking at the youngest looking person in the room. "You will be the only one manning the spacecraft. You have seen and learned everything there is to know here. And apart from that, you are the only one who is blessed to be ignored by time. You are the best option... For you can live for centuries and not age... You have all the time to prepare the Martians in the battle against the Planewalkers."

Kirito nodded in submission and agreement. She has grown a lot in knowledge and maturity since SODOM. Being the one whom Tokiyta entrusted the fate of the Martians is no small feat. Indeed, she had shown tremendous conversion from being among Mori's henchmen, once bent on destroying mankind, to one who is now committed to save it.

"After Doctor Kirito boards the rocket, we will produce a massive radar jam and our hackers will infiltrate the enemy's computers. This will slow down their advance. We will then send out our remaining warplanes and battleships. The goal is to defend the rocket with our lives."

"Finally, once the Messiah leaves the Earth's atmosphere, we will collectively detonate this place. We will all die inside, so that none of us will be tempted to leak any information regarding Project Messiah. Death is the best keeper of secrets."

Tokiya shook his head slowly. Letting loose a bitter sigh.

"Everyone, you have done great... and I can't thank you enough. You have given so much for mankind... and if any of you want to back out, you are allowed to leave... and I will not hold it against you."

He waited for a quarter of a minute. Everyone exchanged stares... yet not one stood up. He waited a quarter more. Silence.

"Thank you, my fellow heroes... for sticking with me until the end. We're all in this together."

Just as he was about to dismiss the crowd, his cellphone beeped.

He gestured to the crowd for the momentary interruption. "Excuse me." Picking up his phone, he quickly browsed to the messages section. The new message came from one of the devices he developed. One that reminded him of an intense discussion he had with the general.

"I'm never going to put that on!" Protested Fuuko. "What are you thinking?"

Tokiya didn't bat an eyelid and replied, "this is not a death wish Fuuko. This is a supplementary measure." The general remained silent, still reluctant. "Look, let's be realistic here. The ratio between your army and the alliance is about one in twelve thousand. I do not, for one moment, doubt your tactical skills. You have more than proven that to me during the Urabutou Satsujin."

"And I emerged victorious every time." Interjected the general.

"Except one-you lost to Mikoto."

Tokiya hit the bull's eye. Fuuko was stopped short of her tracks. "You know how you lost back then? It's because the enemy is a top grade con artist. The Planewalkers are the same, especially Miles. Granted, you could've learned many things after you crossed swords with Mikoto, but that doesn't remove the fact that one, Miles is a greater deceiver than Mikoto and two, should you die..."

"Enough!" Fuuko demanded as she turned around to move away. Tokiya quickly brandished a remote and pressed a button. One after the other, loud bangs was heard, with each one growing louder than the previous. Finally, the door to the room where they are was shut tight with steel barriers dropping down to the ground.

"Damnit Tokiya, my country needs me! Open the door!" An irritated Fuuko lashed out. Tokiya was equally firm. "I need to implant this device to you. And for the record, my need goes first in your priority list."

"This is treason!" Yelled the general as she drew out a gun and pointed it at Tokiya. The latter however, remained unfazed. "If you shoot me, you know that all of humanity will die with me." Tokiya warned. "You're not the only important piece in this game Fuuko. Again, I'm telling you, swallow this device." The scientist stretched his hand with a small metallic ball as though to counter the gun's threat.

Fuuko sighed. She realized that regardless of her protests, Tokiya isn't going to give in. She is a strong believer in Feng Shui. A lot of important decisions she make involves luck, dates, and mysticism. It never worked for a pragmatic scientist like Tokiya, who preferred empirical data over superstition. To her, the device Tokiya is insisting to implant is bad luck. Yet to the scientist, it's a battle plan.

She reluctantly picked up the metal ball from Tokiya and swallowed it. "What is this for anyway?"

"Two things. One, it allows me to implant information to your brain that I deem necessary for you to know, such as the abilities of each Planewalkers. Two, it allows me to track your location and your emotions. As long as you're alive, I'll know what you're up to. I have to know because your role in the war is extremely important. If anything happens to you, my team and I would be able to plan our next actions immediately."

Tokiya slipped out of his flashback, realizing that he was staring at his cellphone like a zombie for about half a minute, inviting an awkward silence across the room. It took only a few seconds for him to read the message, yet a longer amount of time processing it. When he got his mind cleared, he looked up to the crowd and spoke in a soft, vanquished voice. "Ladies and gentlemen," he paused, letting loose a sigh. "The last general of Japan has fallen."

The news was greeted with gasps. Beyond that... an eerie silence.

"Everyone, we can't start slacking now. We have about a month to complete the project. That's just about the time needed for them to crush the remaining resistance."

Tokiya ended the meeting with his fist on his heart.

"The only way for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing." Reminded the physicist in a loud, composed voice. "We are the world's defenders, and we will continue to be so until we breathe our last!"

He was showered with applauses... and that was it.

January 19, 2063  
CERN 2  
Manila, Philippines  
Two hours before the launch of Messiah

"Kirito,"

"Yes, director?"

Tokiya handed a bag to the Shishiten.

"What's inside, sir?"

"It's the schematics of Teishaku Kaiten, along with the broken pieces we recovered from SODOM." He paused, gathering up the right words. "If we can recreate the black hole, we can right our wrongs... Please pursue this research while you're there."

Kirito nodded, fighting back the tears. "You have my word."

Tokiya responded with a tired smile. Sleep eluded him for almost the entire duration of the project. Things have finally sunk in. He is the last of the Hokage. Everyone else died in the war. To be left alone as an old man is quite lonely. He never had a wife. To him, the pursuit of wisdom is more inviting than the pursuit of ladies. His life's journey was molded with books, journals, and research... and that's what placed him on the position he now holds.

"You know, sometimes..."

Kirito turned her head sideways, waiting for Tokiya's half-finished sentence. The old scientist paused for a long time. He was about to say something, but he wasn't sure if those are the right words.

"Nah... nothing."

The old man bent down and embraced the Shishiten, as though embracing a granddaughter. So much time has passed, to think that two who were once enemies are now the staunchest of allies. Kirito felt the old weakened arms of the physicist mustering their best strength to hug her as tightly as they could.

"Be careful, Kirito... Be very very careful not to make the same mistake we did."

Kirito hugged her boss back, assuring Tokiya of the empathy she shared

"You can count on me, sir."

And that was it... their final goodbye.

She would then spend the next four hundred years building the Martian colony to what it is. Her intellect was vital in sparing Mars of the same mistake the humans did on Earth. She was the final human to be sent to Mars, if she ever was human. After her, what remains of Earth are simply stories told by those who lived long enough to see its beauty... and then, after that generation died, only she... and Zetto, the zombie, had any first-hand knowledge of the planet they once called home.

And that was Tokiya's story. The last Hokage. In the final minutes of the invasion, just before he detonated the building, he settled on his office penning the final entry in his journal.

_The world is a wonderful place. A paradise like no other. What a waste... to be exploited and abused by its tenants. For men to learn, sometimes, reality has to hit them in the face... just like this. If only there's a reset button... so that we could undo the mistakes we did... I would've start all over._

_How I wish to see happiness again... one that none of the humans enjoy for many years. I sincerely hope that Kirito will be successful in her mission._

_This is the end of the line. I am among the privileged to watch the planet's end... and to be among the last of its occupants. That which the doomsayers have predicted time and again will finally come to pass this day. The day humanity loses his dominion over the land._

_We've fought long and hard... and now, our corpses will soon proclaim the victor. We have lost the war._

_It's all up to you now..._

_Tomorrow's Children._

_Tokiya Mikagami__  
__Final Memoirs__  
__January 19, 2063_

**End of Episode 8.**

Author's Notes:

Please R and R.

The next few chapters will require more time to plan and write, especially the fight scenes, which I am overly excited about ^o^

Episode 9 is almost finished… and I'm really looking forward into publishing it as soon as possible. But I think I might have to hold that off in order to give me enough time to plan out Episode 10. I'll be busy next week because of a certain activity that requires quite a bit of time for preparation… and of course, Valentines is coming and I'm still pondering on what to by then.

I would love to publish Episode 9 on the second week of February… and probably Episode 10 two weeks after that. We'll see what's gonna happen.

Hope you like it!


	10. Episode 9 - Rise of the Phoenix

"Kaoru! Kaoru!"

The boy twitched his eye as he tried to respond to the voice calling out his name. He found himself half-conscious on the ground. His vision blurry. Around him appears to be a deserted wasteland. Buildings toppled, others burning. He was in a desolated remains of a once populous city.

"We have to... together. That's the only way!"

He didn't get the whole message. So he tried to look around, locating this stranger with his eyes. No other part of his body seemed to respond any further. It appeared too worn out to move. As he cleared his vision, he saw a boy about his age robed in white with gold linen sewn around the neck, sleeves, and buttons. His attire looked almost as though he was among the royalty. His sleeves extended to the wrists, and his pants were littered with sparkling jewels.

Then, there was a massive explosion. Its horrific sound echoed across the battlefield. Yet, the sound was too strong perhaps. Too strong that it sounded so real. So real that it woke the dreamer up.

Kaoru opened his eyes. Shortly realizing that it was again, another dream... one which appears to be too real.

Just yesterday, he found himself entangled between a woman he barely trusted, an old nemesis who stumbled into the same future as he did, and a powerful being inviting him to be his lieutenant. Things are getting more complex with each day he spends in this faraway future. Once, he thought of just giving up on life. Yet now, it seems that he just might have something else to do before meeting the reaper.

He woke up with bandages still wrapped between his waist and chest. When Kirito found him on the ground, she quickly sent in the paramedics for help... and that's how he ended up to where he is-the sick bay.

"Oh! You're awake." Greeted a middle aged woman beside her. "Did you sleep well?"

She was the nurse assigned to take care of Kaoru. A warm motherly woman with a soft spoken voice. Sporting an average height with a smile almost permanently painted on her face, she is dress up on all white, as what is required in her profession.

"It was great! Thanks a lot."

"There are several fractures, Kaoru. But nothing too serious. You should be fully healed in a week's time."

"A week's time? But I don't have that luxury!"

"Huh?" The nurse wasn't so sure how to respond to that. Being simply a person who commits to her duty and nothing more, she is oblivious to the more pressing matters threatening Mars. Kaoru wasn't so sure how to respond either. Should he exchange information with the lady she just met? Or should he withhold from her the privilege to know.

"Oh. Nothing." He smiled, choosing to avoid explaining things from bottom's up. Even he hadn't seen the big picture anyways.

"Oh well, alright! Then you're staying here with me for the next seven days."

"WHAT?" Kaoru almost jumped out of his bed. He certainly can't stay there for that long. If Diamond were to keep his promise, the entire planet would be finished by then.

"Something wrong, son?"

"I can't stay here for a week, ma'am." Complained Kaoru. "Can I not just stay home and rest? It doesn't hurt anymore so I should be fine."

Before the nurse could respond, the door flung open and in comes Kirito. "Kaoru, come with me. There's something you got to see."

"H-hey!" Whined the nurse. But it was too late. Kaoru is already out of his bed.

"You can't leave yet, Kaoru! You're not fit to walk around like that!"

The protest fell on deaf ears. Kaoru was keen to leave the place as soon as he could. He didn't have much time... and he still had to figure out a way to stop Diamond.

"I'll be just fine ma'am!" Kaoru assured as he ran to the door. "Thank you for taking care of me." Having said that, he shut the door. Leaving with the Shishiten.

The nurse was too overwhelmed to properly respond to the incident. Just yesterday she was presented with a boy sporting an alien looking outfit. Nobody runs around with shorts and rubber shoes anymore, yet that's what she saw, and that's what Kaoru wore running out just now. Just as she is lamenting on the lack of attention given her by the two, she found herself glancing at the monitor next to the bed. It shows Kaoru's progress over time... and something just doesn't seem so right.

"The wound... and the fractures..." She murmured to herself. "They're fully healed?"

**Episode 9 - Rise of the Phoenix**

Kirito escorted Kaoru to a room a few blocks away from his. After she opened the door, there appeared before them a young couple. Probably in their late twenties. The wife was leaning her head against the husband's chest as the man quietly rubs the shoulder of his wife. At the bed towards where they are looking is a baby girl... and both parents are looking at their child with anxiety and confusion.

"Come Kaoru," invited the Shishiten as she nudged Kaoru's shoulder to step into the room. "Look closer." Kirito walked towards the baby with Kaoru following just behind. The parents smiled at them both, and the two smiled back. "Don't worry," Kirito assured. "We'll do everything we can to help her." She then turned to the boy, who is still inches away behind her. "Check this out, Kaoru." Picking the girl's hand up to show the Hokage.

"What in the world!?"

Kaoru's jaw almost dropped when he saw the baby's arm. Something wasn't so right. Yet something seemed so familiar. "You recognize this, don't you?"

How could he not? He had seen it so many times in the past. A sharp flame stretching from the wrist measuring about half a meter. It is in its purest form at the wrist of the child... almost as though it was Recca producing the flame.

"The blade of Saiha." Kaoru whispered... yet loud enough to be heard by everyone in the room.

"Saiha?"

The parents obviously are not aware of the Hokage's long history. Kaoru looked at Kirito, wanting to get her permission to explain the details to the parents. She nodded.

"About a thousand years ago, there was a secret ninja society known as the Hokage. Their leader is known to possess the power of flame. In each generation, a leader of the clan would emerge showcasing a different form of flame while also being able to produce the flame of their predecessor. Nadare, the first leader, had fireballs. Some others, have whips, barriers, even beam cannons." Kaoru switched his eyes from Kirito to the parents. "Your daughter is using the second leader's flame-the Enjin."

"Enjin?"

"The Fire blade." Translated Kaoru. "and the one who possessed this flame is Saiha."

The parents still looked confused. They weren't so sure they could trust a boy half their age. It is as though they're listening to a fairy tale concocted by naughty high school kids.

"Everything he had just said is true." Confirmed the Shishiten. "I never thought we'd see this flame again."

"You've seen it before?" A baffled couple asked.

Kirito nodded. "About four hundred years ago."

Everyone in the room almost jumped out of their feet. "Four hundred years?!" Kaoru quickly approached Kirito and pulled her up. "400 years? How can you look so young?!" The parents almost wanted to say the same thing. How could one live for so long and yet appear as though she isn't?

"You... you lived through all those years? Then you know everything about Recca and the others?" Inquired the boy, still holding Kirito.

"You bet." Kirito grinned as she turned to Kaoru. The parents remained bewildered, wondering if those standing before them are lunatics. Kaoru turned Kirito around by the shoulders and held them with his hands, squeezing them with excitement. "You've got to tell me about them."

"You'll know about them in time." Dismissed the Director. "What's more important is this thing before us." Kirito turned around and addressed the people around the room. "This is unprecedented. I always thought that the Planewalker of flame had been destroyed. Yet it appeared that he has made his return."

She looked at the parents and continued with a straight, serious face. "Your daughter has a powerful demon living inside her. One that is responsible for the destruction of Earth."

"We will do our best to separate this demon from your daughter, but I cannot make any promises."

"And should you fail?"

"She will have to die with the demon."

"You can't be serious!" The father tantrums over the Shishiten and grabbed her collar. "You're not going to kill my daughter, do you understand that?"

"Fine. Then Kaoru will be the one to deal the deathblow."

Kaoru was taken aback by the director's indifferent response. Worse, he is now being pulled into the mess. "H-hey! I'm not going to do that!"

"It can't be helped. You will stain your hands with the blood of this child, Kaoru."

"NEVER!"

"Then I will make you WANT to kill her."

Kaoru's surprise quickly descended into rage. True, his is responsible for the death of many. Just a few days ago, he tried to rob a man who ended up getting murdered by a chimera. He then shot the chimera to death. Ever since his encounter with the priest, he himself wondered if the chimera who attacked him is also human. If so, then that's another fatality listed on his account. This time however, he is being pushed into killing a baby. Something unthinkable in his terms.

"If you force me to kill her, I'll join Diamond." Threatened the boy.

"You wouldn't do that."

"I'm serious, Kirito. I'm not going to lay my hands on that child." Protested Kaoru.

"Diamond was the one who murdered Domon Ishijima." Countered Kirito. "Now, are you going to ally yourself with your friend's murderer?"

Kaoru was stopped short of his tracks. Kirito has a clever way of shutting him down. This wasn't the first time it happened. She did the same after releasing him from jail... and even at that, he still had many questions left unanswered. What he was informed now is that the man who attacked him yesterday slew his friend. It wasn't something easily forgiven, much less forgotten. Yet one question remains.

"How do I know you're telling the truth?"

"You won't, Kaoru... because only I lived long enough to know the details. But you should know that if you turn against me, you... along with the Planewalkers, will be accountable to the blood of all those who will perish because of them."

Don't listen to her... betray Kirito...

What the? A voice. Speaking inside my head!?

Leave her be... join the Planewalkers...

Kaoru felt his head cracking. As though something's squeezing his brain. Almost by instinct, he pressed his ears with both hands , trying to shut off the noise.

"Kaoru, what's wrong?" Kirito asked. Baffled.

The boy didn't respond. Yet the looks on his face has shown that the pain intensifies over time. He slowly dropped into his knees, still covering his ear.

"Kaoru, what's wrong? What's happening to you?"

"Someone's... speaking to me... on my head... " huffed Kaoru as he continues to battle the pain that's stalking him from the inside. The boy dropped to the ground... the pain overwhelming his vertical base in mere seconds.

As Kaoru is still on the ground, a blue flame emerged from the baby, engulfing her entire body with fire.

"Noooooo!" Screamed the mother as she watched her daughter swallowed by the flame. The father attempted to run to his daughter's aid to protect her but was pulled back by Kirito. "Don't throw away your life. Your daughter won't die. She's merely a vassal of the demon."

The flame slowly transformed into what looked like a bird, smoldering in blue and orange. It flapped its wings, unleashing small gusts of flame shooting outwards. None was fatal, and everybody in the room is unharmed.

"Long time no see." Greeted the bird.

"Houou. I thought Recca killed you in the war. How are you still alive?" The director looked straight to the eye of the bird, showing no signs of intimidation whatsoever.

"It's none of your business, filthy human. I'm taking this child with me... And I will destroy this place slowly, starting with the outskirts. You will watch your city slowly consumed by my flame... And I will kill you last, so that you will feel the pain of losing everything that you have spent centuries building and caring for."

"You filthy humans will pay for your treachery!" Roared the bird. It extended its wings and flew up, breaking the ceiling with the baby still entangled in its claws.

Kaoru meanwhile, dropped to the ground. Unconscious. Kirito quickly grabbed the boy's shoulder, shaking him as though to wake him up.

"Kaoru! Open your eyes!"

No response.

"SOMEBODY!" Yelled the Shishiten from the top of her lungs. "SOMEBODY HELP US!"

In the dream world, Kaoru opened his eyes. Finding himself in the midst of a desolate wasteland as he lie on the ground. He quickly regained his composure and got up. The moon shines brightly in the sky, perhaps the only light giving source in the near vicinity. He looked around... and what he saw appears to be the destruction left by a great war. The place looked deserted, and the nasty smell surrounding the air appeared to be coming from rotting flesh.

Where am I?

"Kaoru... Find me... And Holy..."

"What the? Who's there!?"

Kaoru looked around. Nobody.

"Kaoru... Find me... And Holy..." Repeated the voice, this time... a lot weaker than the previous.

"Who are you? Show yourself!" Kaoru demanded.

"Kaoru..." Called the voice a third time. But it's too faint for Kaoru to ear the next words. He looked around him one more time. Still, nobody presented himself... and the voice never called a fourth time.

_Who could that be?_

Suddenly, a strong wind blew into Kaoru. He had to squat to keep himself from being carried away. Then, an oppressive pressure, that of a planewalker appeared.

"Good to see you, Kaoru Koganei."

A different voice. Not that of Diamond's.

He turned around, for the voice that called was behind him. There appeared a man in black robe with hood covering his face.

"This will be your grave, Kaoru. You will die in your sleep."

**End of Episode 9.**

Author's notes:

Houou is a popular name for the Sacred Flame. If you watch the anime (ep 42), Kurei's phoenix is called by that name. Since that wasn't part of the canon, I made a slight modification of the bird's flame. (This fanfic too is not canon. Haha)

As of writing, Episode 10 is already complete and by next week, I'll be writing Episode 11.

I'll try to keep the weekly/bi-weekly release possible. I notice that every time I set a timeline for the next release, I seem to have been able to produce the episode earlier. I wonder if that's good.

Episode 10 will probably be out on the first week of Feb. :)

Hope you like it though.

Please R and R.


	11. Episode 10 - The Planewalker of Space

"You've got to rescue our daughter!" Pleaded the father before the director, who is standing just outside the emergency room. Kirito was silent. She knew for a fact that there's almost no chance for the baby to survive. If the entire world is not able to stand up against the Planewalkers, how could a mere baby?

The toddler is the least of her worries. If she could throw away a life to save the entire city, that would be a bargain she'd take any day. To her, she's just being practical. The child is after all, JUST a baby... they could always give birth to a replacement. Of course, she wouldn't dare to mouth out those words, but that's exactly her thoughts.

Her mind, even as it is being interrupted by the constant pleading, is currently racing to know what had just happened to Kaoru. She cannot afford to lose him. If he dies, then Mars will also share the fate of Earth. She glances at the monitor. Kaoru's vital signs are just fine. He breathes normally, and his heartbeat is stable. Yet, regardless of how much she tried to wake him up, the Hokage remained in slumber.

She leaned her arm to the glass window and placed her forehead next to it. "Kaoru... whatever's going on inside of you... make sure you can go through this alive."

**Episode 10 - The Planewalker of Space**

"Who are you?"

The cloaked man responded with a devilish laugh. "I am Miles. Remember the name, boy. Because that's the last you'll ever know."

_Miles! He's the one who killed Fuuko!_

The Planewalker wasted no time and charged in with his fist. Kaoru quickly deflected it with his right arm. As he made his defense, he quickly turned around and countered with his leg to the Planewalker's unprotected neck. Just as his leg touches the cloak, it failed to strike anything else but the garment. Kaoru was momentarily off balanced as his leg touches the ground. He wasn't expecting that avenue of defense.

"I am immortal, Kaoru. Your attacks will never touch me."

_He's right. Just now.. when I struck his neck, I had all the intention of breaking it. Yet... my attack... I didn't feel anything at all._

Unlike Tsukishiro, whom he was able to gauge the strength from the start, Miles is totally different. They both have the power to vanish at will. Yet Tsukishiro can only vanish from sight. What stands before him now has the power to phase out of existence completely.

"I will kill you slowly, Kaoru. Don't die too fast."

The Planewalker drew out a madougu from his pocket. It was a blue crystal ball engraved with the Chinese word for claw. Onitsume. In its full form, the orb is attached to a claw with five edges. Yet what the Planewalker carried is one without the crystal's main body.

_That madougu is useless on its own. Is he placing it somewhere?_

Kaoru quickly prepared his defensive posture. Squatting halfway and extending both arms, ready for battle.

"Don't put your hopes up, boy. You're nothing without the Kougan Anki." Reminded the enemy. Raising his fists to his chest level, the Planewalker generated claws of energy from between his fingers. They are closely similar to the Kaze no Tsume. Only this time, the Planewalker is using his own spiritual power to generate the claws.

"Are you ready?"

Miles swings his hand just next to his neck... A posture ready to attack.

"Take this!" Shouted the Planewalker as he swings his arm to the opposite direction, releasing the claws from his grips. Kaoru prepared himself to evade the attack. Yet even before he could react, blood suddenly broke out from his stomach. The boy cried out in pain as he fell to his knees. All three claws pierced him perfectly. "It's too fast! I can't even see its movements."

He pulled the claws out of his stomach and threw them to the ground. Huffing as he covered the bleeding with his hand.

"Heh heh heh..." The Planewalker quietly laughed as he drew out the first blood. He then generated his next set of claws, preparing for the next attack. He watched the boy, still bewildered from how the claws struck him. Without hesitation, he released the claws anew, and they pierced Kaoru's left arm, between the wrist and the elbow.

Kaoru screamed in pain.

How? How is he shooting it with that speed? The power he exerts in swinging his arm does not justify the speed of the projectile!

"Still holding up?" Called out the aggressor. "You're doing just fine, kid. As what I would expect from a member of Team Hokage." He released another set of nails. All three stabbing the upper right portion of Kaoru's chest, pushing the boy off balance and down to the ground on his back.

Those shots. He threw those nails thrice, and I never saw them travelling on air. It is as though they would simply materialize at the point of impact.

Kaoru pulled out the nails both from his shoulder and his arm. He struggled to get up, yet that's the only thing he could do to stay alive. To stay down is to invite an early resignation... and he's not buying it.

_I think I know what's going on... But I have to make sure._

He took off his shirt, holding it tight with his hand. "COME!" He shouted. The Planewalker looked confused yet surprised. "Interesting. Putting up such courage in the face of impossible odds. Now that's more I like it." Raising his fists anew, Miles conjured a fresh set of nails. "Here, catch!"

Blood broke out from the Kaoru's left hips. Just like it was prior, he never saw the projectile travelling to him. His head is bowed down, gritting his teeth from the pain. "Heh heh..." giggled the boy silently.

"What's so funny?"

"I got you figured out, Miles."

The boy was stretching his hand forward, covering his entire body with the shirt on his hand. "I was pierced by your nails, yet my shirt wasn't damaged. You are not throwing the nails. You're teleporting them as soon as you release them from your hand."

"HAH HAH HAH HAH!" roared the Planewalker with his maniacal laughter. He never thought he would see a person on the brink of death who could still think so clearly. Whenever he performs his leisure of taking somebody else's life, his victims are often repressed by fear. Yet now, not only has he seen the Hokage contain his fear, the boy has also been able to figure out his power in the process. "Bingo!" Congratulated the enemy. "Yet now what? Even if you know about my powers, how can you defend yourself from it?"

Miles again, attempted to conjure a new set of nails. As he positioned his hand for a new batch, Kaoru quickly spinned around once, and in the middle of his spin, he threw back the nails impaled on his body. All three struck the Planewalkers hand. Now, they are both bleeding.

"You are not unbeatable, Miles. You simply phase yourself out of this plane of reality to defend yourself. Yet you also can't attack without phasing back in."

_He's very clever. After just a few attacks, he was able to see through my powers._

Kaoru quickly rushed in, sending one fist after the other straight to the Planewalker. Miles phased in and out of reality in defense.

_If he keeps phasing in and out, he won't be able to use the Onitsume._

Kaoru sends a roundhouse kick to Miles' belly. In his defense, the Planewalker teleported himself to Kaoru's back, hoping to get a momentary respite from the barrage. Yet the kick turned out to be a feign. Kaoru landed his kicking leg on the ground and used his other leg to kick behind him. He struck Miles at the stomach, and the Planewalker was pushed back a few steps and fell on his knees.

"Impressive, kid. You're able to retain your speed even after I pierced you several times."

Kaoru wasted no time and continued his assault. He can't give the enemy a breather. The moment he does, he won't be so sure he could get another opening. He quickly turned around and charged into miles. But just before he could reach the Planewalker, he was tackled from the left by an enormous creature, sending him crashing several meters away.

"It's time for round two." Announced the robed being. Miles extended his hand to the being who interrupted their battle, as though to give a formal introduction. "Allow me to introduce to you, the true form of Dosei no Wa."

Kaoru was still dizzy from the blow. He lays flat on his stomach with one elbow pushing himself up as he looked at the third person in the battle. He was about seven feet tall. His entire body is ripped with rockhard muscles. His head however, is that of an animal. A bull, with a nose ring that could be nothing else but the Dosei no Wa's madougu form. Perhaps quite fitting. The bull is among the strongest and most reckless of animals. Anything stained red, it would charge without having to think twice. It is to no surprise that Mexicans made a sport out of them. They had real brute power, but not intelligence. A madougu that perfectly matched its once proud user, Domon Ishijima.

"I never thought you'd live long enough to see this monster, Kaoru. You could've made your death much more painless without me having to bring him out."

Kaoru struggled to get back at his feet. His pain racked body beginning to show signs of weakness.

_Darn it... just when I see through his powers, the reinforcement arrives._

Kaoru charged into Dosei no Wa hoping to take out the seemingly easier opponent to handle. With his leg, he struck the neck of the bull with all his might. The beast absorbed the full power of the kick, yet appeared unharmed. It responded by grabbing the leg Kaoru used to kick it, and with its other arm, smashed the boy's knee, shattering it completely.

"Aaaaaaahhhhhh!" Kaoru screamed in pain, falling down at the feet of the bull. He was clutching his broken leg, rolling left and right, unsure of how to suppress the pain coming from his fractured bones.

"You see? You could've saved yourself from the pain if you just allowed me to kill you earlier." Taunted the Planewalker. He then pointed at his pet, "Break him apart."

The bull responded with a deafening growl as it picks the boy up by the legs and raised him up to the highest end of its arms.

"Do it!" Commanded Miles.

The monster roared as it slammed Kaoru back to the ground, a powerbomb, producing a small crater from the impact. Kaoru cried out in pain. Huffing and puffing as he sweats profusely, both from the pain on his leg and now on his back.

"Looks like you're about your limit, Kaoru. But you should be proud. You forced me to bring out this beast in order to beat you."

The madougu moved behind Kaoru and pulled him up to his vertical base by placing its left arm below the boy's left arm and extended its hand to the back of his neck. And with the raised arm of the boy, the monster pulled the wrist with its other arm inwards. Using its left arm to push Kaoru's neck forward and the boy's arm to crush his own neck. The beast performed a cobra clutch as he choked the life out of the boy. Kaoru was limping with one leg... Yet only with the help of the one who's carrying him from behind. He quietly huffs in pain as he tried to pull the grip out of his neck with his other hand. It was of course, to no avail. The monster is vastly stronger than him.

"Don't tell me that's everything you've got, Dosei no Wa. Punish him more!"

The beast growled anew, and struck its knee to Kaoru's back, right at the spine while maintaining the choke hold, increasing the pressure to the boy's body. Kaoru screamed in pain as he felt himself breaking apart from the sheer might of the madougu. Then suddenly, he felt a sharp pain at the base of his left ribs.

Nails.

"Hah hah hah!" Laughed the Planewalker hysterically. "Don't think that I'm done with you. Perhaps you forgot. I am also your enemy."

The Planewalker slowly walked towards the boy, still subdued by the beast. When he reached his desired distance, he pressed the nails deeper with his leg. With the monster's knee pushing his body outwards and Miles stepping on the nails inwards, Kaoru suffered the full blunt of the nails piercing his body. Kaoru screamed at the top of his lungs as both creatures continued to torture him. Sweating even more now as pain ravaged his entire body.

"Master... don't give up. This is a battle you can never lose."

In the midst of his struggle to stay alive, Kaoru heard the same voice that called out about half an hour ago.

"Who... Are you...? What am... I... supposed... to do?"

"Talking to yourself now are you?" Interjected the enemy, still stepping on the nails. "Don't worry. Soon you'll join your Hokage brethren in hell!"

_Not yet... I can't pass out just yet..._

Dosei no wa dropped the boy to his knees. Then he pulled Kaoru's hair and struck his back with its leg, forcing the boy to expose his forehead to Miles.

"Die! Kaoru Koganei!"

Miles produced a single nail, intending to end the fight with by piercing the boy's forehead. Shortly, there was another splash of blood.

The monster released its grip on his hair... and the boy fell on his back, his broken leg bent to the opposite angle, and he landed to the ground with both hands stretched apart. Bathing in the pool of his own blood.

**End of Episode 10**

Author's notes: Yikes! What's Kirito going to do now? :) :)

Some personal stuff:  
Initially I was debating between three madougus used by Miles. Of course, the madougu should be extremely powerful and almost unbeatable when used along with his power, which is to control space. I ended up choosing the Onitsume since it's one of the most useless madougu in the canon. (It's only real purpose is to stab Fujimaru to submission). Come to think of it, it actually turned out to be almost invincible when used with teleportation.

I've read recently an idea that really echoed my sentiments when I first thought of the idea of the Planewalkers. A good fic has to have the hero face (almost) impossible odds. That would get the reader to start thinking about how he could slip through the obstacles... and challenging the imagination would keep them interested.

So yeah... that's why there's Miles, Diamond, and Houou. Three who bear so much power that I myself can't even think of a way for Kaoru and Kirito to win against them (at least at the time when I introduced them). Yet I hope that adds up to the flavor.

Btw, the more I write this thing, the cooler it seems to me to have that pairing. K and K :p

Perhaps that's just me. :)

Next chapter will take a while. Maybe two weeks.

Please R and R.


	12. Episode 11 - The Planewalker of Life

Kaoru placed his face next to the shower. He can't even remember the last time he took a bath. Things have been happening so fast that even personal hygiene had to take a backseat. Yet this time, it was a privilege given him by the director.

Initially, he hesitated. How could he consume water in a bath when the people in the city are struggling with a limited supply? Yet with the constant pleading of the director, he gave in. After all, he needed some way to refresh himself after a long, bloody battle. Who would've thought that even dreams wouldn't spare him of a good rest.

"Maybe I was wrong about her." He thought to himself as he switched the shower off. As soon as he woke up, Kirito welcomed him with a big hug and a bucket of tears.

"Thank God! I thought we're gonna lose you." Were the words repeated many times by the Shishiten. Perhaps, Kirito had really changed. Perhaps, his doubts about his former enemy isn't really warranted. For the first time, he found himself comfortable in the presence of the woman. In his heart, he's beginning to trust her.

As he walks out of the bathroom, he saw the Shishiten outside. Waiting. Looking at him straight to the eye. "Now, tell me what happened."

Episode 11 - The Planewalker of Life

Kaoru and Kirito sat down on the bed together, each one facing the other as though they were children outdoing each other with amazing stories to tell. Kaoru told her exactly what happened. The voice calling out in the dark, Miles appearing in the dream, the smell of the place, the environment, even Dosei no Wa's true form. Kirito nodded each time the boy would look at her. A sign of both attentiveness and understanding.

"At the very last moment, the voice called out to me. He said that it was a battle I can't lose. Then suddenly, everything made sense. Miles hinted that I will die in my sleep, yet I was conscious in our battle. Then it dawned on me that I was dreaming and Miles trespassed into it. With that knowledge, I was able to turn the tables in the nick of time."

"A lucid dream."

"A what?"

"A lucid dream," Repeated Kirito. "Coined by the late scientist Frederik van Eeden. It is the state when the dreamer knew for certain that he is dreaming."

Kaoru nodded.

"When the dreamer becomes aware that he's dreaming, it is possible, with sufficient mental power, to control the dream... or at the very least, exert a significant amount of influence to it. This has always remained a theory. Scientists believe that at a certain frequency of the brainwaves, one can tap into man's divinity inside the dreamworld. And more so once he becomes aware that he's inside of it. There are some who even claimed to have learned information that they never knew before."

Kaoru nodded. He roughly understood the gist of what Kirito is trying to say. But none of which really mattered much.

"Please continue, Kaoru. What happened?"

The boy threw his back to the bed with his arms crossed around the back of his head. He spoke every detail to Kirito, just as he remembered them.

Dosei no Wa was pulling his hair as it shot its knees to his back. It was a perfect position to end the battle-a position of total defeat. Miles produced a single claw. One that is enough to pinch a hole in the boy's head.

It was a wrong move by the madougu... to release the boy's neck.

"AWAKEN! Kougan Anki!" Cried Kaoru in a small, smothered voice. His throat is almost crushed by the time he was released, and with the limited amount of space for his voice to travel, he was able to turn the tables.

Four blades materialized from the ground where Miles is standing. Each one shooting upwards and severely injuring the Planewalker. With Miles letting his guard down, he wasn't able to properly react to the attack. He was thrown upwards from the impact, impaled by the golden halberd... and before he could reach the full height of the elevation, a shadowy figure appeared above the Planewalker and, with Kougan Anki's handle, speared it to Miles, sending him back to the ground.

A massive explosion of sand greeted the enemy as he crashed.

Dosei no Wa wasn't able to immediately react to the situation... and that's enough time for the stranger to capitalize on. Kougan Anki's chain materialized around the bull, wrapping it on its place.

The madougu roared, a cry of panic. Yet before help would come, the stranger appeared behind it, his back on the monster's back.

"Merge." Commanded the fourth person in the battlefield.

All five parts of the Kougan Anki flew out from the sand and was pulled into the chain, stabbing the bull in its vital parts. The neck, the head, the heart, the nose, and the stomach.

Blood splattered out of the monster as it keeled over, releasing its grip from Kaoru. The Hokage fell on his back, too weak to be supported by a single knee.

And at that, only one is left standing. His back is still against Dosei no Wa, and his left hand gripping the now reformed Adamantine Blade. In one final counter-attack, the once impossible battle was won.

"It's nice to meet you, master." Greeted Kaoru's savior. "I am Kougan Anki."

The madougu lowered his weapon and turned around, smiling at his owner. He had gold spiky hair. Unkempt yet fashionable. He is about Kaoru's height, and looks as though they're about the same age. He was wearing a white shirt with the sleeves reaching the wrists. Around the edges of the shirt is woven with gold. His pants was the same. White overall with gold at the rim. His outfit is sparkling with expensive jewelries. One look at him would immediately define his significance. He is clothed as though a prince of ancient Japan.

Kaoru suddenly remembered his prior dream. The same boy appeared to him wearing exactly the same outfit. He struggled to smiled back, yet he did so with a bit of effort.

"Thank you..."

The madougu nodded. Acknowledging the gratitude. "You have to find me... and Holy."

"But how? Madougus no longer exists in my time. And I don't even know who Holy is."

"Time will open up doors that you thought were closed... Stay vigilant. Things will get worse before they get better... if indeed they would get better."

The place where Miles crashed exploded. Revealing a furious Planewalker unleashing a powerful aura. "Darn you, Kougan Anki!" Cursed the enemy. "You will pay for your interruption!"

Miles bent forward and crossed his arms next to his face. Then shortly, he opened them up and dropped them to his sides, unleashing a greater amount of aura.

"Well, master. Your dream ends here. It's time to wake up." The madougu smiled, pulling a green orb from his pocket. Mugen. In the Urabutou Satsujin, the power of this madougu was only shown in parts. That which has the ability to shrink molecules. Yet the other, equally powerful ability is that which makes the user capable of invading another person's dream. Apart from Kagero's description of it, nothing else was said further.

"The Mugen!" Miles quickly searched his pockets. Nothing. The madougu he once possessed is now in the hands of his enemy. "How did you..."

"You were careless. In a battle, you should never let your guard down, even when you are certain of victory." Kougan Anki paused. "Because you can be certainly mistaken." He then looked to the direction of his injured owner. "Master, please do to me what I am going to do to you."

Miles charged in, roaring with a massive aura. Yet, just before he could land an attack, the golden madougu gripped the orb and crushed it with his hands. There was a great flash... then, Kaoru opened his eyes... and the first person to greet him... was Kirito.

"So this madougu of yours wanted you to find Holy huh?"

"Yeah... but I don't know where to start looking."

Kirito looked away and giggled, stimulating the boy's curiosity as he watched the Shishiten. "You know what he's talking about?" Asked the Hokage.

"Of course." Kirito replied. "Holy is the final piece of the puzzle. She's what we need to stop the Planewalkers... and only you can find her."

"I don't understand. Tell me more."

"Holy is the Planewalker of Life. Of all the Planewalkers, only her power is regarded as the opposite of the others. It is for the same reason that after Yanagi was kidnapped, Mori can't do a thing to her until Holy is subdued. Which is why in SODOM, we prepared acolytes to perform the ritual."

Kirito paused, looking at Kaoru in the eye, as though wanting the boy to realize something. "Like Houou, Holy can also reside in a living organism."

"Then, that means... Yanagi is..."

"Holy's vassal. Similar to how Houou used the body of the baby. Holy once resided in Yanagi's body."

_I can't believe it. A Planewalker was among us all those times._

"But there are two problems Kaoru." Kirito added, stretching her hand to a victory sign. "One, Holy will not appear until about seventy years later and two, even if we are to find her new host, we don't know how to set her free."

"What do you mean set her free?"

"During the great war, we expected her to participate in it. We tried all sorts of method to call her out, but to no avail. My theory is that she's probbly dormant, or imprisoned."

"Can't we reverse the ritual performed in SODOM? Y'know, just do the opposite. If there's a way to subdue her power, then there should be a way to release it right?"

"I'm thinking of the same thing. But the bigger problem is how to find her." Kirito reminded. "There's a way. But it will be very risky."

"How? Tell me."

"Remember the time when I brought you to the stasis chamber? The time I told you that we're using the place to study black holes?"

Kaoru nodded.

"Well, Tokiya Mikagami was right. The black hole is capable of bending the very fabric of time and space, such that whoever enters it will be transported to a different time period."

"So that's why Joker made it here."

"Yes. But back then, Joker didn't know exactly how to control the black hole. He simply used it as a desperation move to finish off Kadotsu. It took me centuries to study the black hole... and just recently, I found a way to use it such that I can caliberate the amount of gravity needed to send a person to a particular time period."

"Then... was it you?"

"Who summoned you here?" Kirito grinned. "Yes Kaoru, it was me. That was the first successful result of my centuries of research."

"But... But I should have been dead! You didn't just brought me here, even my life was given back!"

"I don't know what happened to you. Perhaps you'll know in time, perhaps you won't. All I did was to bring you here. Every other detail apart from that... I am unaware."

Kaoru bent down his head, downcast. "Why do I have to go through all this... It would be best if I just remained there."

"Do you believe in God?"

Kaoru didn't respond.

"Science has advanced so much since your day. Here, everybody believes in God. The scientific stance against the transcendent have softened over the centuries. Perhaps partially because men preferred to live with eternity in sight. Or perhaps... because all the scientific discoveries involving the unexplainable have all pointed towards an Almighty being."

Silence.

"Well, for instance, our studies of NDE have shown that a collective testament of people who have briefly seen the afterlife have two descriptions. They either see a hole or a gate. Have you seen either?"

Kaoru shook his head.

"It could be that your body was suspended in time for so long that made yoiu think that you're dead. Who knows?"

"But I've seen Kurei... He died before me. I've seen him alive and well. His scars are gone... and he looked really happy."

"Are you sure that what you've seen is real?"

"What are you trying to say?"

"It could be one of those visions you know."

Kaoru was surprised. How did the Shishiten knew about the visions? He never spoke to anyone about them. "You know? About the visions?" Kaoru quickly pulled himself back up. It is one thing he desperately needs an answer to.

_Damn it! I said too much!_

"Now is not yet the time to talk about them Kaoru."

The boy did not relent. The Shishiten have kept more secrets from him than he could recall, yet on his end, he appeared to have blurted out everything there is to know. "You've got to tell me, Kirito. Those visions are disturbing!" Kaoru grabbed Kirito's shoulders. Shaking her as he spoke those words. He's eager to know. He felt he had to know. Perhaps, through knowledge, he could find a way to release himself from it.

"I can't tell you now Kaoru."

"But why?!"

"What you know not about, Miles will not find out. I'll tell you in time. When all this is over. But not now Kaoru. At least not yet."

Kaoru sighed. The Shishiten is too secretive. Yet when she speaks, she does so with authority, as though even when everything is going amuck, she can keep her composure like everything is under her control.

"Promise me. When this is all over, you'll tell me everything."

Kirito closed her eyes and nodded. "Yes Kaoru. I promise."

"Kaoru, going back to the main topic, there's something I need you to do and unfortunately, you're the only one who can do it." Kirito paused, taking time to choose the right words to say. "I need you to go back in time to bring Yanagi here."

Kaoru was surprised. Words didn't come easily from him. Yet Kirito could see his face painted with conflicting emotions. "We can't wait for Holy to reveal herself once more. We will have to retrieve her from the past... at a time when we still know who her host is."

"You're planning to..."

"use the Teishaku Kaiten to send you back." Completed Kirito. "So we have to retrieve the madougu from Diamond. Whatever the cost, we must retrieve it."

Their conversation was interrupted by a ring on Kirito's phone, to which she promptly picked up. Signaling for Kaoru to wait, she placed the phone next to her ear.

Kirito listened for abit, and made a couple of responses to the person on the other end of the line. The call didn't last for more than a minute... and when she hang up, she turned to Kaoru.

"The disintegration bombs are ready." Kirito commented, changing the topic. "Come with me, Kaoru."

End of Episode 11

Author's note:

Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please R and R. :)

As I was writing this chapter, a thought suddenly came to mind that I think I really want to include in this fic. This was originally unplanned but I think it probably makes a lot of sense to write a chapter or two about it. I thought of writing a background story for Kougan Anki when he was still human. I have a general sketch of what it'll be like. The timeline, his interaction with some 'key' characters in the canon, and a lot of other stuff that looked pretty interesting to me. :)

It will certainly add more depth to the 'most referred to' madougu in the series.

Also, it seems that another hiatus is coming up. This will be the last chapter to appear for awhile. I'm not so sure when the next one will come out as I feel that I'm losing a bit of steam lately in fiction writing for reasons that have already been mentioned in the past. So yeah, it may take me a few months before penning another chapter. We'll see what happens. :)


	13. Episode 12 - The Planewalker of Power

The southern crater is known to many only by its location relative to the human settlement in Mars. Yet to the one who finds it most relevant and reflective, she would call it Genesis. Four hundred years ago, on the first day of April, her rocket ship landed on Mars at the exact same spot. It is to her, a Genesis, a new beginning for mankind to correct their mistakes. Man's thirst for power has always been the key motivation to devour each other... and so in the Martian City that she founded, she would make sure that before there is any pursuit of scientific and economic advances, man has to first tame this desire. Power corrupts... and to know the extent of a person's character, one only has to give him power. This, Kirito withheld from the masses. She did so by a touch of Marxist ideology. Equality and utilitarianism. She made them realize that what threatens mankind is not man, but entities beyond himself. To convince a small pack of human is easier. In those times, there's not even a hundred people living in the planet... and to this day, it is an ideology held by the 'natives'.

Diamond's invitation for the meet up in Genesis has been bittersweet, at least for her. It definitely refreshed her memories in the early days of Elysium, the Martian City. Yet at the same time, she knew that the battle that would be taking place could destroy that sacred place, at least to her.

Kaoru, whom she has pulled out of the time portal arrives at the crater. It was early morning. There, the Planewalker had been waiting, carrying the red trident on his hand. Kaoru's response to his invitation is almost as clear as day. The three days that elapsed has been tilted to Kirito's favor... and even without the three days, it would have been the same anyway. He could at least trust a former enemy who sheltered him, rather than a total stranger who tried to take his life twice.

Without the Kougan Anki, Kaoru arrived bringing only himself. Yet still, the absence of his madougu can also be seen in a good light. Kirito's advancement in science have allowed her team to create the disintegration bombs. If things work as planned, the battle could be won... and among those who are still alive in Elysium, it is Kaoru's fighting skills that is on top... and thus it makes perfect sense to bring in the one who can deliver the highest chance of success.

The two looked at each other in the eye. Kaoru, now accustomed to the oppressive pressure of the Planewalkers have now been able to dismiss it. After all, what is most threatening is the surprise, not the routine. This day, only one will leave the battlefield with his life.

**Episode 12 - The Planewalker of Power**

"Let's skip the pleasantries." Diamond started. "Are you joining me?" Kaoru responded by diving in, striking the Planewalker's face with his elbow. Of course, to the armored monster, a human elbow wouldn't do the least damage.

"I don't want to repeat myself."

Kaoru remained silent, attacking Diamond wherever his limbs would find opening. Every part he hits leaves no indication of damage. It is to no surprise. The Planewalker's entire body is blanketed with diamonds, the hardest of all elements.

"Don't be stupid, boy. Not even warheads could break through my armor. What makes you think that your body can trump them?"

Kaoru spoke no words, only a kick on his opponents cheek. An annoyed Planewalker swings the Teishaku Kaiten horizontally. "You pathetic insect!" Kaoru narrowly avoided the attack by bending his knees down and his body back. As soon as the trident was swung to full length, he jumped back. A short respite to recalculate his opponent's next move.

"If you can make me admit my defeat, then I'll join you."

The first reply Kaoru spoke.

"Don't be silly. Your attacks have no effect on me. What makes you think you stand a chance of winning?"

Kaoru charged in, ignoring the Planewalker's words of caution. This time, Diamond wasn't willing to remain stationary. He thrusts the trident to Kaoru's direction. The Hokage feigned to the left, the same side from which the enemy's hand thrust the spear. It was the best move. If he moves to the right, Diamond's free hand could prove dangerous.

"Wrong move, boy!"

Diamond quickly bent his arm. The first attack was simply a decoy, for the real assault comes from his diamond coated elbow. He struck Kaoru's side that sent him flying for a few feet. Kaoru crashed to the ground holding his damaged side, coughing.

"Just one shot and you're writhing? This is ridiculous." The Planewalker dropped his weapon to the ground and started walking to the boy. "I don't even need the trident in the first place."

_I seem to have a few broken bones... But everything is still going according to plan. The greater the difference in strength as it appears to him, the greater the chance of victory._

Kaoru immediately got up and charged in anew, sending his fists straight to Diamond. The latter took the fist with his body and countered with a knee to Kaoru's body. Just before the contact, Kaoru used his free arm to punch the knee sideways, effectively pushing him away to safety.

"Nice D."

Kaoru grinned, and continued his assault. He jumped right next to the Planewalker, inviting an attack, to which Diamond promptly banged his fists to the ground where Kaoru landed. Kaoru quickly dodged the attack and, with speed faster than Diamond's ability to respond, kicked the back of the Planewalker... and with the force used for the attack, Kaoru pushed himself away to maintain the distance.

_This is weird. He knew that none of his attacks work against me. Yet he continues to hit me regardless._

"Hey Kaoru!" Called out the Planewalker. "You're not so dumb as to repeat the same stupid attacks unless you've got some tricks hidden. What are you planning to do?"

Kaoru smirked at the Planewalker. The final attack has just been dealt... and after that, phase 2 of the plan begins. He reached for his pocket and out comes a remote.

"This!" Kaoru announced as he pressed the button. In that instant, Diamond's body glowed erubiscent... and in a few second's time, he realized what's causing it.

"You scum!" Growled the Planewalker. And after that, a succession of explosion.

As Kaoru watched the spectacle, he was reminded of Kirito's description of the bombs.

"Diamond prides himself with his unbreakable armor. Yet one thing he fails to realize is that in every aspect of reality, there exist the Yin and the Yang. Every mode of existence is categorized by polar opposites. For good to be good, there has to be bad. For light to be light, there has to be darkness. For life to be life, there has to be death."

"Having said that, how do you think can we destroy his armor?"

Kaoru shrugged his shoulders. "By using another diamond?"

"You're not following my train of thought." Kirito whined. "We're not using diamonds. That's too uncool." The Shishiten then extended her hand, as though showing Kaoru something on her palm. "This is the disintegration bomb."

"Where?"

"Right here. On my hand."

The disintegration bombs are invisible. Absolutely transparent and there's not a hint that Kirito is holding on to something. "You probably learned from school that everything you see around you is matter. Solid, liquid, gas, plasma." Kirito explained. "What you have before you is the exact opposite. An anti-matter."

"An anti-matter that comes in contact with another matter will cancel each other, causing a massive explosion. But you ask why my hand doesn't explode? It's because this bomb is suspended in its place by a magnetic field."

"We developed this bomb for the very purpose of defeating Diamond. The goal is to stick the bomb around his body and simultaneously detonating them. We created them with the ability to stick to diamonds as soon as it comes in contact with it... And of course, a remote to disable the magnets."

All of Kaoru's attacks are intended to stick the bombs around Diamond. Coming to battle seemingly unarmed is perhaps his trump card. When the difference between powers is great, the more confident of the two tends to relax. It is a common phenomenon in any form of competition. Yet such also, is an extremely dangerous habit... and Diamond fell for it. With a hand speed to transform the Kougan Anki at superhuman rate, to attach the bombs without being noticed is cakewalk.

A thick smoke spread across the battlefield, a testament to the damage done. Kaoru could slowly sense the oppressive pressure fading... and the moment it ceased to exist, he walked forward, with the purpose of retrieving the Teiskahu Kaiten.

Kaoru picked it up and held it up close. The madougu once held by the only Jyushinshuu he crossed swords with has apparently become a key tool if they should succeed in their quest... and now, it has returned to the ownership of those who aims to save the planet. Kaoru stood up, turned around, and walked away. He walked one step, then two. On his third step, a massive gust of wind blew from the direction of the smoke.

_What the? What's going on?_

As he turned around to see the cause, a green fireball emerged from the smoke, flying to his direction. Kaoru immediately sensed something was unusual from the projectile. It wasn't an ordinary ball of flame. What he saw... is a human face.

Only by reflex, he blocked the attack with the Teishaku Kaiten. It was a timely save. He was blown away by the sheer impact of the bullet and crashed on his back several feet away. He took a few seconds to compose himself as he lied down. And then, with one elbow, he pushed himself partially up, bewildered of what he had just seen.

"You little brat!" Called out a voice from the smoke, which, by now, have started to clear. Diamond emerged with his armor shattered. The Planewalker himself is injured. There are evident remnants of his once invincible armor. Broken residue of diamonds are still intact. His body is hued with gray. The first time any portion of himself is exposed to his enemy. His body well supports the armor he dons. A brute, to the standards of many. He had short blue hair with brown eyes. From the forehead drawn down to his left cheek is a white scar. A visible mark of a man who lived his life in the battlefield. The attention grabber though, is his palms. Each had what looks to be a mirror, firmly attached to the hand.

_Just now... the fireball he threw at me... looks exactly like he bullet in Magensha's cannon._

Kaoru quickly speared the trident vertically to push himself up. The initial plan was to destroy Diamond from the explosion. The Planewalker however, while injured, lost only his armor. There's no Plan B. This incident is one that neither he nor Kirito had calculated. Should he run? If he did, Diamond will surely tail along in pursuit. Yet if he stays, does he have the skills to beat the enemy?

Kaoru leaped away, waiting to see how Diamond would react. In a blink of an eye, Diamond disappeared.

The moment he sensed Diamond up to something, he quickly sharpened his senses.

"Behind!"

Kaoru turned around and there stood diamond with his right hand stretched forward and the palm wide open. "Take this you scum!" A ball of wind materialized from the palm and shot towards Kaoru.

_That's... Kazedama!?"_

Kaoru swings the Teishaku Kaiten and as soon as the ball of wind is within the reach, he batted it to the side. Kaoru landed on his two feet. As he stares at the Planewalker, he immediately saw through his powers. The mirror on his palm has an engraving with the Chinese word for wind. The other hand, most definitely, was Idaten's.

_Impossible. He won't allow me to escape. Even if I did, I would have to fight him anyway. Better settle it now._

"Do you know why I am known as the Planewalker of Power?"

Diamond stretched his other hand as well, exposing the mirror on his palm.

The Chinese word for water and ice materialized in the mirror. "This is my ability." Announced the Planewalker.

Drops of rain suddenly poured down from the sky.

_Rain? What's he up to?_

Then suddenly, in the midst of the downpour, a giant boulder of ice shot down, to which Kaoru quickly dodged by jumping back.

The rain slowly increased in strength, and wind started to blow harder.

_He's creating a storm?_

"My power is to compress vast amount of energy into crystals. Kokuu and Kaima used my powers to create madougus. Those crystal balls are the fruit of my power... and that's why I earned that designation-The Planewalker of Power."

Boulders of ice continued to fall, and Kaoru avoided them each time.

_This is bad. He's soaking me with the rain. It slows down my movements... and the strong downpour is limiting my vision._

Another boulder dropped down, to which Kaoru evaded. As he landed on his two feet, he suddenly realized something. Diamond has trapped him in a forest of hail. He turned to the right... then to the left.

_Where is he?_

"Hyoumon Ken..."

_What the!? Tokiya's technique!"_

"HISAME!"

The boulders of ice around him shattered and turned into icicles. Kaoru immediately understood the danger.

_Shit! They're all pointed towards me!_

All the icicles shot towards Kaoru. A massive barrage of icicles flocked towards the core... and there was a huge explosion, followed by clouds of ice.

End of Episode 12.

Writer's block is quite true. I actually hit a wall between the previous chapter and this because as I am drafting this chapter, I had to plan out two things. Diamond's power and how Kaoru could manage the battle. When I introduced the Planewalker concept in Episode 3, I already had a full idea of what his power is. The only issue is how he could mix and match various madougus. He had to be near invincible yet beatable... and for an unarmed hero, it's crazy.

Next chapter will probably come out next week.

Well... hope you like it. Please R and R.


	14. Episode 13 - The Genesis Flood

A huge cluster of ice congregated at the point of impact, unleashing a massive cloud of frost. There was a moment's silence with Diamond watching from the distance. "Get out! I know you're alive!" Yelled the Planewalker.

It wasn't long before his demand was granted. From above, Kaoru dived down with the Teishaku Kaiten aimed towards his enemy. The boy has narrowly avoided the icicles by using the trident's anti-gravity to push him upwards just before the icicles converge. Diamond reflexively stepped backwards, evading the trident. As soon as the weapon hit the ground, Kaoru used it as a pivot to spin around, sending his leg to Diamond's face. For the first time, the Planewalker felt the impact. Without the Diamond armor to protect him, he had only his body to absorb the damage. He was pushed to the side with the blow. And the moment Kaoru felt his leg touching something solid, he landed on the ground, and spinned anew, this time picking up the Teishaku Kaiten and swinging it horizontally. As the trident make contact with Diamond, a different sound was heard from the impact-the sound of the weapon striking a block of ice.

**Episode 13 - The Genesis Flood**

"Tou Kekkai!"

Withstanding the assault, Diamond countered with an attack of his own.

"Hyoumon Ken, Water Snake!"

The snake struck Kaoru in the chest that sent him flying away. Kaoru crashed to the ground as Diamond regains control of the battle. "You're giving me so much trouble kid. Don't make me want to kill you. Give it up!"

Kaoru struck the ground with the Teishaku Kaiten and pulled himself back up. "Stop kidding around. You haven't forced my mouth to say it."

"You stubborn brat! Ice Snake!"

The projectile soared into Kaoru's direction. Yet with enough time to respond this time around, Kaoru lifted the trident overhead and slashed the snake in half.

"Fool! Here's the real attack!" Diamond used the Ice Snake to serve as a blind spot for him to move behind Kaoru. With both his palms extended forward, a water snake and an ice snake appeared simultaneously. Kaoru quickly turned around to defend himself, yet it was too late. Both snakes struck him once more and sent him crashing into the now flooded crater. He quickly pushed himself up, this time, with greater effort as he coped with the pain, unwilling to remain on the ground. Defeat is not an option.

"Give up!"

"Go to hell, you gorilla."

A condescending insult ticked Diamond's nerves. He charged forward, wanting to give the boy a taste of his own fist. Diamond sent his clenched fist directed at Kaoru's cheek. Yet unknown to him, it was a bait. Kaoru avoided the attack and struck his enemy's legs with the trident, causing the Planewalker to lose his balance and fall.

"Gravity (+)!"

Diamond was held in place, unable to move with the strong field of gravity holding him in place. Kaoru quickly aimed the sharp edge of the trident at the Planewalker's neck. Without the Diamond coating, his neck is now as vulnerable as any other.

"End of the line, Diamond!"

"P-please! Don't kill me!" Interrupted the Planewalker. It was the first time he begged for mercy. Unthinkable, for a being of his stature and strength to be pinned into submission, and worse, to plead for life.

"You monster. You've taken Domon's life. What makes you think you're worthy of a second chance?"

"I had to do it to save Tokiya!"

Kaoru was momentarily taken aback, he was silent for about five seconds. Thinking. What Diamond would reveal is a piece of information withheld from him by Kirito. Should he trust the enemy? A moment's intuition seems to lean on the affirmative. What harm is it to listen to a man teetering with death? "Explain." Demanded the boy, with the trident still pointed at the Planewalker's neck.

"At the fall of Japan, Domon was captured alive by Miles. He was sent to the prison to be tortured. Miles knew that of all the people alive at that time, Tokiya's band of scientists pose the biggest threat. They were elusive. Witty. On dozens of occasions Miles attempted to wipe them out but failed. He is aware that Domon knew of Tokiya's whereabouts and so he made sure to keep him alive long enough to spit out his secrets."

"For weeks, he was scourged. All forms of torment was inflicted on him. On one occasion, he was forced to eat corpses... yet he remained silent. Silent until he heard the news that Miles has captured his mother and is about to torture her as well."

"It was the turning point. Domon was reduced to choose between Tokiya and his mother... unwilling to make the choice, he begged me to kill him."

"I felt pity... and at the same time, rage."

"When we started the mission, Miles promised us that we're only to kill the wicked and establish ourselves as rulers to restore morality. I believed him and his ideals, and so I joined him. Yet in the end, it turns out that he wanted the world for himself. He massacred everyone. The elderly... Women... Children. It was too much to bear... yet I could do nothing. I've already dug my own grave since the day I joined Miles... and the pit has only grown deeper each day."

"I thought, if I could frustrate his plans, I could at least atone for my sins... and so at Domon's request, I saw an opportunity ripe for grabbing."

"I killed Domon, and made it appear as though he died a natural death."

Kaoru eyes moisten with tears.

"Can't you see? I'm asking you join me so that I could defeat Miles!"

"Please..." cried the Planewalker. "If you want me dead... let it be at the battle against Miles. I'm not asking for forgiveness... because I know what I did was unforgivable. All I'm asking is that you free me from my guilt."

Kaoru quickly realized that the ball is now on his hand. The man he pinned down had been all along wanted to free himself from guilt by making amends. He also couldn't find a reason to accuse Diamond further. If he was in his shoes, he would've done the same thing.

Kaoru released the gravity field holding the Planewalker down and withdrew the Teishaku Kaiten. It was, to Diamond, a ray of hope. It was to his good fortune that it was Kaoru who is fighting against him. Kirito wouldn't have been as nice. He found a second chance... given to him at the least opportune time. Diamond pushed himself back up. He definitely won't squander what was given him. It was a second chance after all... a second chance... to win the battle.

The Planewalker quickly extended both his hands towards Kaoru. Two massive snakes shot out from his palms, a size double of the previous snakes. Caught entirely off guard, Kaoru received the entire blunt of the attack. The two snakes carried him all the way to the sky, out the crater from which they fought. At the full height of the snakes, Diamond appeared just above Kaoru with both fists encased in solid ice. He clenched them together, raising his arms overhead and pounded on the boy's back, sending him crashing to the ground next to the crater.

Diamond landed next to Kaoru, who is racking in pain as he laid on the ground with the Teishaku Kaiten dropped next to him. The Planewalker picked Kaoru up by the boy's wrist. Holding it as he lifted Kaoru above ground... and with his other hand, he struck Kaoru's stomach. Kaoru coughed a mouthful of blood from the blow.

"You're too gullible Kaoru. Do you really think that I would be so kind as to ease Domon from his misery?"

Diamond produced a covering of ice once more around his hand and struck Kaoru a second time. Kaoru spewed more blood as he helplessly absorbed the punch with his body.

"The bullet I used to shoot you... was the head of your dear friend! I killed him... as soon as he revealed Tokiya's whereabouts."

Diamond roared in laughter.

"It turns out that blood is thicker than water!"

Kaoru's eyes shot up in anger. Betrayal... deceit. His mercy was thanked with cruelty. "You monster!" With his remaining strength, he used the Planewalker's grip as a leverage to pull his body up, kicking the Planewalker's chin in a somersault.

The grip loosened and Kaoru fell on his feet. He quickly jumped into the direction of the trident to retrieve it. Without the Teishaku Kaiten, all hopes to salvage the battle is moot. Kaoru quickly grabbed the trident and turned to his opponent. Charging in with the trident's edge, wanting to stab the Planewalker with it.

Again, Diamond shielded himself with the Ice Barrier. Rendering Kaoru's attack useless. The Planewalker quickly grabbed the boy's hair and smashed his face on the ground with great force. Without releasing his grip, Diamond pulled the boy up once more with his hair, suspending him above ground. Blood rolled down Kaoru's forehead as the boy grit his teeth in pain. "I wanted to defeat Miles... to usurp the throne of leadership from him. There cannot be two rulers... only one... and that one person is me!"

Diamond sent an uppercut to Kaoru's chin, sending the boy flying upwards before dropping to the ground.

"I gave you a chance to join me... but you squandered it."

Diamond drilled his foot on Kaoru's chest.

"Now, all that awaits you is death!"

As Diamond was speaking, he transformed himself into a large serpent made of ice. He then shot himself to his fallen opponent, burying his fangs at Kaoru's shoulders. The Hokage screamed in agony as the snake lifted his entire body with its teeth. Diamond then coiled himself around Kaoru, constricting the boy with his body.

The rain has filled the crater with water far above the human height. Diamond planned it from the beginning. The method by which to eliminate the boy, should he resist, is to drown him to death. Diamond jumped back into the crater, carrying the boy with him as he dived in.

Unable to swim, Kaoru's hydrophobia immediately kicked in. He tried wrenching himself out of the snake's grasp, to no avail. "Your movement will only shorten your life, boy. Stop resisting and die!" The snake tightened the coil, causing increased pressure around the boy's body. Kaoru wanted to scream in order to disperse the pain... yet to do so is to hasten his death.

_I can't die here... think!_

When one is pushed to the limits, that is where the silliest ideas would crawl out in the open.

_I still have the Teishaku Kaiten... I can still fight..._

_Gravity (-)!_

An orb of gravity field appeared below the snake's head. The amount of force from the field of gravity, coupled with the snake's surprise, caused its head to shoot inside the coil... and with that, the grip on Kaoru's shoulder loosened as he was pushed out of the coil. Kaoru immediately summoned another field of gravity. This time, it appeared between him and the snake.

_Gravity (-)!_

The snake was pushed downwards with great force while Kaoru was pushed up to dry ground.

_Shit! He got away!_

Diamond quickly swam upwards, chasing the boy who has now reached dry land thanks to that one madougu he failed to consider. As the snake was about to reach the water's surface, he was pushed down.

_What the hell?_

He swam up again, yet he was pushed back anew.

_That brat... He trapped me inside this basin of water!_

Diamond continued to struggle, swimming up as much as his energy would last him. Yet on each occasion, he was pushed back. Suddenly, his frozen coating disintegrated.

_What!? My power? How?_

It was his lack of focus. Panic. In a desperate attempt to save his life, he exhausted his mental powers. The Planewalker began to suffocate underwater, unable to hold himself alive much longer.

_Damn it all... to be killed... by the very method I planned to kill my opponent..._

The rain stopped pouring as well, a testament to Diamond's waning power. He tried swimming up anew, only to be pushed back.

Vain hopes...

In a few minutes... the Planewalker found himself struggling in futility. Unable to hold his breath any further, he opened his mouth... and water poured in, filling his lungs, then his entire body. Diamond sank to the bottom of the crater. Killed by the very method he planned to use. Death by drowning.

As soon as he felt the Planewalker's presence disappear completely, he knew, the end has come. Kaoru won a hard fought battle against the first of three. He dropped his grip from the Teishaku Kaiten and descended to his knees, huffing and puffing. He never knew he could pull off a victory in a one on one battle, yet he did. It wasn't a battle of strength. Rather, a battle of wits... and in that arena, Kaoru trumped his foe.

Shortly, an ambulance appeared from the horizon. It is no doubt, one from Elysium, ready to pick Kaoru up. It stopped next to the boy and a first aid team attended to him immediately. "Doctor?" Kaoru spoke as he turned around. "Nurse." Corrected the woman. The very same woman who attended him after his battle with Joker. "Sorry about last time," apologized the boy. He knew he was quite rude back then. "Forget it." The nurse replied. "Hop on." She commanded, offering the stretcher, to which Kaoru obediently laid. As soon as the small recon team loaded all that's needed inside the locomotive, it zoomed away, back to the Martian City. Kaoru closed his eyes. A well deserved rest after a brush with death.

Kirito, on the other hand, was in the stasis chamber. She fastened herself at a wall of computers, typing at great speed. With the Teishaku Kaiten soon to be in her possession, the next phase of the plan can commence-retrieving Sakoshita Yanagi.

End of Episode 13.

Author's notes:

In case one needs a refresher,

Tou Kekkai - Kai's Ice Barrier which he used to block the Icicle Snake.

When I was designing the fight scene, I imagined Diamond to unleash a large variety of madougus. Yet as it turns out, I used only a few. There are two reasons for this. I've already reserved a lot of other madougus for future use. To repeat the same power used elsewhere isn't really fun. Also, perhaps a cheat on my side, is that I have to plan out a certain set of combinations that, while powerful, wouldn't be invincible. The Ensui and Hyoumaen are good examples of this where their powerful offensive capabilities do not compromise on their defense. Thus, giving Diamond that power would certainly make him a formidable foe and that the only way to win really is for Diamond to die by his own hands.

If I may also share, I made some trips to the library and have even consulted my friends from China on some words. I am initially planning to have Diamond use the Mumyou and Mongamae. Given the massive pool of Chinese characters with the root word for door, I can introduce a lot of new abilities that was never revealed by Kadotsu. In fact, I have a list of them on my iPhone as I drafted the previous chapter and this.

Well anyway, hope you like it. Please R and R.

Not sure when the next chapter will be released. I'm now in Chapter 18, but I haven't really proof read the chapters so I don't think they should be published immediately. The next arc will be dark, bloody and sorrowful. Hope you'll like them as well.


	15. Episode 14 - Best Friends

"Do not grow emotionally attached to whom you will see and meet. They are simply entities from a different universe. They don't exist in ours."

"Do not try to change the timeline. Let what is destined to happen, happen. If one should die, let him die. If one should live, let him live. To introduce an anomaly in the timeline is to introduce unpredictability. It will jeopardize the mission, yourself, and the future of mankind."

"Do not stray away from the mission regardless of any circumstances. The mission is to retrieve Yanagi. To care for any other person apart from her is irrelevant."

"Yanagi is to be taken as you exit the dome. Right in the middle of Recca's fight with Kurei. Don't mess up. Make sure it happens."

The next morning, following Diamond's defeat comes a new mission. Kirito has all but completed the necessary preparations for the journey back in time. The Teishaku Kaiten has been properly setup with wires to produce a time portal. All that's left is the commencement of the mission.

Kaoru and Kirito are there. The latter giving the former reminders and instructions. It is necessary, especially for someone who's emotionally sensitive. The battle with Diamond wasn't Kaoru's first time to succumb to compassion. He had fallen from the same emotional snare in his battle with Zetto. Without Fuuko's assistance, he would have been dead by then.

Kirito is extremely worried of sending Kaoru, knowing that his emotion is the Achilles heel. She had to remind him, repeating the warning over and over. She had to. Perhaps, in doing so, she could avert a possible failure.

"Kaoru," the Director spoke, her voice now relaxed. "Aren't you wondering why I am sending you, rather than going back in time myself?"

The boy shook his head. "They trust me. They wouldn't trust an enemy. They would gladly entrust Yanagi to my care. They won't do the same with you."

Kirito nodded. "Exactly." She placed both her hands on his shoulders, a gesture of care. "Be careful. Be very very careful." the boy smiled back. Assuring the Shishiten. "I will."

Kaoru stepped into the center of the stasis chamber. The place where the time portal will be produced.

Shortly, a black hole manifested beneath Kaoru's feet. And then, as it grew in size, Kaoru was slowly pulled into it. It took only a few seconds before the boy vanished completely in time. The destination: Urabutou Satsujin 3.

**Episode 14 - Best Friends**

August 8, 2003. One day before the finals. Kaoru arrived just outside an unpopulated forest. He looked around, assessing the environment. Not too shabby. He was indeed, back in his home planet. Back in his own time. Birds chirped... and the gentle wind that breeze through the leaves is nothing less than spectacular. True, there's no place like home.

As Kaoru turned around, he saw a cave. It quickly reminded him of the time he saved Akai and Raiha from the pursuing mobs. How fast time flies. It's as though that event happened in a different version of himself. Yet memories flooded vividly. The place where he arrives will be the appointed place. He had twenty four hours to bring Yanagi with him... and now, judging by the shadow casted, it should be around four in the afternoon.

"Better get going!"

Kaoru ran to the direction of the hotel. For sure, the rest of the team is waiting.

Halfway in his journey, he ran into a pink bonnet innocently lying at the side. "Did somebody just drop his hat?" His initial reaction was to grab it and find the owner. As soon as he's about to bend down to take it, Kirito's reminder crossed his mind. "Do not stray away from the mission." This was the first test... and he almost flunked. Yanagi is the target. No one else matters. Now coming into his senses, he continued to sprint towards the hotel.

_For some reason... that hat looks really familiar. It's as though I've seen it somewhere, but I can't remember where..._

It didn't take him more than a few minutes to reach the hotel. Kaoru quickly zoomed into the lobby, hoping to see those whom he has been separated from for centuries. Room 1815. That was the unit assigned to them. He remembers it as though it was yesterday. How couldn't he? With all the grim memories painted in that dark tournament, anyone would surely have a place in their memories for it.

He quickly entered the elevator, its glass walls adding to the artistic facade of the locomotive. As Kaoru waited for the it to carry him to the eighteenth floor, a sudden glance to one person in the lobby turned his excitement to anxiety. Saicho.

Vain memories. He was responsible for bringing Saicho inside the dome that fateful night. The night where he almost lost his best friend. In this timeline's calendar, he would be bringing Saicho in there. He should... if he wants to preserve the timeline.

"The target is Yanagi" he thought to himself. Yet a previous guilt couldn't be easily shaken off. He is after all, just another flawed human. How can he bear watching his friend almost murdered a second time? To that he had no answer. To stick to the mission... or to change the events fated to occur? He knew he would be paying a heavy price for it. "There are still four hours before I ask him to go with me. I still have time to think." He punched the wall of the elevator, and a small crack formed on the damaged area. Those riding with him jumped in astonishment. They looked at him, and his eyes were moist with tears.

"Hey... what's wrong?" Asked a gentleman of about 30 in age. As soon as the question left his mouth, the elevator dinged at the eighteenth floor. The door opened and Kaoru quietly stepped out. "Everything." He answered... and the door closed. Separating him from a group of baffled vacationers.

Kaoru wiped his tears with his arms and drying it by rubbing it on his shirt. He shouldn't act irrational. He shouldn't even look irrational, much less suspicious. He took a deep breath. The Hokage should trust him if he wants to 'kidnap' Yanagi.

As soon as he felt composed, he started walking towards the room. "Just act natural... everything will be just fine..." he thought. As soon as he reach the door, he rang the bell... hoping that somebody inside would welcome him in. One minute. No answer. Another bell... and another minute. Nobody.

"Where's everyone?" He murmured.

As soon as he turned away, Saicho bumped into him. "Hey Kaoru! Don't have a key?"

_Saicho! What am I going to do?_

"Here, my pleasure." Saicho drew out a key card from his pocket and inserted it to the lock. Pulling it out, there was a clicking sound, followed by a push to open the door. "Everyone's out for a meal. I'm not hungry so... I decided to stay back and rest."

Kaoru froze in place. Mixed emotions eating away his rationality. He wanted to give the guy a big hug. Yet to do so is to invite suspicion. He wanted to keep Saicho from getting injured, yet to do so is to break fate. He had to stick to the plan. Retrieve Yanagi... and leave the rest untouched.

"Kaoru?" Saicho called, swinging his palm up and down a few inches away from the boy's face. "You okay? I've been calling you thrice." The boy suddenly regained his senses. Was he so deep in thought that he momentarily drifted away?

"Oh... Sorry. I guess I'm just..."

_What's my excuse... Think!_

"I guess I'm just thinking about the Kougan Anki's sixth form."

"There's a sixth form?"

"That's what the old man said, right?"

"Huh?" Saicho looked confused. "What old man?"

"Didn't he run into us while we're folding paper cranes this morning?"

Saicho looked even more confused. "I don't remember seeing anyone at all."

_What? Is this for real? Saicho doesn't remember Kokuu. But I'm certain that he saw him back then. Did I mess up?_

"Well, y'know what, there's the flashlight for our trip tonight." Saicho spoke anew, breaking the silence. He was pointing to the bed. As Kaoru shifted his sight, he saw a rather innocent looking device waiting at the cushion.

_That flashlight. Exactly the one I carried._

Kaoru's thoughts shrouded his composure once more. He didn't want to bring Saicho to the empty dome. Yet he had to follow through with the mission.

"But I thought you're not in favor of going there?"

"Haha! Are you kidding? I know how excited you are in seeing the ring."

No. That's not what Saicho told me back then. He was completely unsure. In fact, I was the one who pestered him to come with me. Then why? Why is he reacting as though things are supposed to happen regardless?

"You okay?" Saicho called out. "You're pretty deep in thought."

His friend's voice broke his awkward meditation.

"Well... yeah, I guess you're right. We should go." In his thought, Kirito's instructions prevailed. Everyone he meets are just metaphysically existing. They don't exist in the genuine timeline. At least, that's what he's told.

From then, time began to tick. The two exchanged stories as they rest in the hotel room. It was something Kaoru is yearning to have for a long long time. To be back in the presence of his friends is one thing he always wished for. Since he followed Kurei back to the past, things have been crazy. Yet this time, he had the chance to spend his time with one whom he felt rather comfortable with. Time passed quickly. As soon as the clock hits ten, Saicho picked the Kougan Anki up and threw it to his friend. "It's time!"

Kaoru caught the madougu with his right hand. As soon as he did, flood of memories streamed into him. The cold steel had a very nostalgic feeling. After a long separation, he was reunited with the madougu he grew up with.

"Come on!" Saicho nagged as he opened the door. Kaoru complied. What must happen... must happen.

It didn't take long before the two entered the stadium. Kaoru was carrying the flashlight as Saicho followed behind. "Hey," Saicho whispered. "You're arm is shaking. Are you okay?"

Even as he tries to repress the feeling, it just won't go away. In his mind, Kirito's instructions must be carried out without fail. Yet, his emotions tell him a different story. "Yeah... let's carry on." Kaoru pushed a door open. It couldn't be any other than the arena's. The place resonates with bitter memories. In this same place, Saicho was almost murdered by Joker. He'd rather not see such again with his eyes. Yet circumstances seem to dictate otherwise.

"It's time for children to be sleeping..."

Saicho immediately heightened his senses. "J Keeper!?"

The huge knight slammed his axe to the ground where the two stood. Both quickly evaded the attack.

_This is it... the nightmare before the finals._

As the two protected themselves, Joker sneezed, breaking open the doors. "Ah... I'm caught." He quipped. J Keeper swung his axe across Joker, to which the trump card ducked.

_Joker..._

One well placed blow towards Kaoru threw him to the wall. Saicho immediately came to his aid by blocking the giant's advance. "Saicho... This guy is huge... so he must be slow. If we attack him from both sides, we could nail him down." suggested the Jyushinshuu. The two took their positions as Kaoru watched. He bit his lip, emotions tearing him apart.

_What am I going to do?_

As Kaoru is still deep in thought, both Joker and Saicho leaped towards the giant. As soon as both of them are within range of each other, Joker swung his Teishaku Kaiten on a different manner. It is as expected he was targetting Saicho.

And then...

A golden arrow pierced his heart. Kaoru shot the Jyushinshuu. Tears flooding his eyes.

_I'm sorry Kirito... I can't... I just can't... bear to see Saicho injured again..._

End of Episode 14

Author's Notes:

This second arc will probably span eight chapters starting with this. I am actually excited about this arc. Yet I am not sure when the next one will come out. Probably mid-June? I am writing Episode 19 right now. But things have been pretty slow as I had other preoccupations at this time. I hope you like this chapter.

Please do leave a review if you liked it!


	16. Episode 15 - The Day of Scarlet Flame

The final bout of the Urabutou Satsujin features two of the most dominant team. On one side, there's Uruha Kurenai, famous for its unrivalled power for topping the tournament twice... and then there's Hokage. The black horse of the game.

The opposing team herded themselves into the cliff, led by the devious Mikoto. Recca on the other hand, rallied his team into the arena. Both teams faced each other on a narrow opening leading to the large ring below. "Kurei won't be coming." Mikoto announced, to Recca's dismay. "Our first combatant, Noroi, will be enough to send you all to your graves."

Kaoru watched as the two representatives exchanged insults. Everything still appears as expected. Kurei is missing. Yet only this time, Joker is missing as well. The arrow shot to the heart rendered the trump card out for good. As soon as he struck Joker with the arrow, J Keeper finished the job with a crushing blow to the Jyushinshuu. It was a long awaited opening, and the two boys rushed to the unprotected exit. That night, there was one casualty. Joker.

Kaoru looked at Yanagi, who stood innocently as she watched her ninja throw a tantrum. Very soon, he will have to flee with the healing girl. Very soon, things may go amuck. He has to save enough energy to protect Yanagi until Kirito fetches them. It is to his good fortune that he need not fight in this bout.

**Episode 15 - The Day of Scarlet Flame**

Domon leaped down into the ring , inviting the walking corpse for the first match. Noroi descended to the ring. The battle commenced. The two quickly exchanged attacks, with Domon emerging as the early aggressor. Kaoru watched them perform in the ring. In his mind, the fate of this battle has already been decided from the very beginning. Domon is sure to win.

The Hokage Gorilla was soon thrown into the edge of the ring. Gasps and jeers could be heard audibly around the arena. With Domon hanging for his dear life with an arm, Noroi confidently approaches as everyone in Team Hokage watched in anxiety. All except Kaoru, who knew what would happen next.

Noroi grabbed the Gorilla's arm and threw him back to the ring. Again, another wave of jeers. "What the hell? Why did you save him you moron!?" Shouted an audience. "Maybe he's not such a bad guy at all." Commented another. Everything seemed to go as planned. Yet to Kaoru, he noticed something amiss.

_This is weird... Where's Kokuu? He should be here by now._

The battle continued. Domon sends out attacks of his own as Noroi counters with his laser arms. Noroi would later gain the upper hand as he showered Domon with the beams. Minutes passed, and yet Kokuu remains missing. "Hey Tokiya," Kaoru could keep it no longer. "Did a mysterious old man appear to you yesterday?" The swordsman looked at the boy and shook his head.

_What the!? Kokuu never appeared to them? But he's supposed to! Isn't it why Saicho can't remember him as well? Is it because he never appeared in the first place? But how? I never attempted to change the timeline prior to that!_

Kaoru's train of thought ended when the crowd began to throw a massive howl. Noroi's rotting skull has been revealed as Domon shriveled in fear. Soon, the Jyushinshuu will attempt to take Domon's life by breaking his skull... and of all people, only Kaoru is aware of it.

"Tokiya, did Domon receive a madougu yesterday?"

Again, the water swordsman shook his head. "None that I know of." Kaoru's anxiety heightened. "Hey everyone, does anyone know if Domon receive a new madougu yesterday?" Everyone in team Hokage shook their heads.

_Oh shit! At this rate, Domon will..._

Kaoru switched his attention to the ring. The big guy was thrown to the air. Noroi preparing to break his skull.

_No... Domon!_

As Domon falls, Noroi struck his face. Blood gushed out from his ears and nose and mouth. The powerhouse of the team dropped to the ground, lifeless.

_Domon... no way..._

Tears crawled out of Kaoru's eyes as the entire Team shrieked. Domon was killed 18 minutes into the battle. Uruha Kurenai drew the first victory. As Noroi's name was announced the winner, the team rushed to their fallen comrade, Fuuko being the first to reach her fallen lover.

"Hohohoho. It looks like you'll need to bring in your first casket." Taunted Mikoto. "You bastard!" Recca countered. "You're going to pay for this! Domon's death will not be in vain. We'll beat you all and I'll burn you to dust!"

Kaoru buried his face on his palms and cried silently. This wasn't part of the plan. All the while, everything should've happened according to the history books. Yet now, the Hokage suffered their first loss. This means that neither Fuuko nor Tokiya could lose both their fights. Yet if things were to happen as expected, both will be beaten. In his mind, something has to be done. He had to change the timeline once more by interfering in one of the matches. Just a valuable advice, he thought. Just a valuable advice. Should he succeed, there's still hope of carrying on with the plan.

Tokiya's fight comes next. Both fighters entered the ring. After about half an hour of crossing swords, Kai emerged victorious. This time, everything happened just as it was expected to. Tokiya hesitated at the last second to finish off his opponent, realizing that the man he's against with is not his sister's killer.

"2-0." Mikoto announced. "The next match will decide the victor of this tournament."

As Fuuko was poised to enter the ring, Kaoru called her out. "Fuuko, can I have a few words with you?" The female fighter found it quite untimely. Kaoru is never really the type to grow serious. Yet at this time, she could tell that the boy is deep in thought... and the face looking at her is unusually intimidating. "Go all out from the start. Use the two crystals of the Fuujin as soon as the battle starts."

"But why?"

"Trust me, sis. It is the only way to destroy her."

Fuuko yielded. Starting the battle by throwing a Kazedama against Mikoto. The Jyushinshuu quickly defended herself with a giant fan. Yet, as with how it was, the Kazedama overpowered the fan, shattering it to pieces. Fuuko consumed the next crystal, bringing forth another wind ball. Without protection, the madougu absorbed the full blunt of the attack as its master fled from the point of impact. Unable to continue, Fuuko was quickly declared victorious in the fight.

"Forgive my rudeness." A voice echoed from the Uruha's corner. It was a familiar voice to all. Kurei. "I never thought Mikoto would lose. I have arrived, just as promised."

_Something's really not right. Kurei should've come out right after Domon's fight. Yet in this timeline, he came out only at this point._

As soon as he realized what's happening, Kaoru swung his attention to Recca. He examined the tattoos. Kokuu's mark is missing. Then he remembered. The first vision. The images from his memory shines vividly as Kurei grabbed Recca by the neck and set him on fire. What he's about to see... is a reality already foretold in the visions.

"Kaoru." Kurei called out. "How did you find out about my instructions to Joker?" The boy stared back, giving no answer. "Ignoring me? Well... I don't mind. You see, Joker won't be able to make it today, and so I thought you should just accept my humble gift of handing the fourth match to your favor."

Kaoru remained silent. His words, after all, meant nothing. He has already seen through the future. Recca must die... and the Hokage will lose. This is how things will come to pass. He had to plan an escape. The initial strategy of escaping with Yanagi as they exit the dome is no longer viable.

"Come, Recca. My flames shall be your funeral pyre."

The Hokage captain complied, jumping into the ring against the other flame master. The two quickly exchanged flames. Each one showcasing various techniques to outdo the other. The battle quickly dragged. Half an hour passed as though only minutes. The battle was intense. Neither ninja is willing to give the other a chance to win.

At forty five minute mark, Kurei gradually gained control. He conjured a massive flame that engulfed his brother. Recca screamed as he burned within the confines of the Kurenai's flame. "Recca!" Yelled a worried group of teammates. As the flame subsides, their leader dropped to his knees... then to the ground on his stomach.

"It looks like you've reached your limit Hanabishi. It's time to put an end to this." Kurei picked a half-conscious Recca by the neck, raising the fallen flame master above ground. "STOP!" Fuuko yelled. "That's enough... you don't have to kill him."

_Those words! Those are the exact words Fuuko spoke in my visions_.

"We surrender..." Fuuko pleaded as she called out the referee. "Stop the fight!" Kurei however, showed no sign of concern. Simply a grin of sadism. "I waited years for the opportunity to take his life. Now, it shall come to pass."

Kurei set his brother on fire with a massive gout of flame. Recca's faint scream could be heard as his entire body succumbs to the heat. Kaoru looked away, unwilling to see the death of another friend. He attempted to save Saicho's life by disabling Joker. Yet, what he saw this day is far worse. Domon was slain and Recca would soon share his fate. As he switched his attention away from the ring, a pair of evil eyes caught his. Cold fear crawled through his spine. An anomaly in the timeline emerged. From the distance, there stood a familiar man observing the match. It was Miles. Smiling sadistically.

End of Episode 15.

For a refresher, the visions Kaoru saw on Episode 1 (Chapter 2) is exactly what is happening now. :) :)

The events here, including most of the dialogues may sound familiar. They are directly taken from the manga to properly represent the events that happened then.

Pardon the lack of updates.

Next update is probably mid July.

Hope you like it! Please R and R


	17. Episode 16 - The Escape

Kurei released Recca's charred body as the rest of the team watched their leader's corpse drop to the ground. The masked flame master let loose a sadistic laughter. Team Hokage stared in shock, especially the princess, who, after watching two of her friends perish in battle, would have to offer herself as a prize to the victor. Once again, she will be experimented upon. Once again, she will be tormented. This time however, it could mean only death. Yanagi watched her ninja, burnt. Defeated. Dead. She wanted to cry. Yet fear suspends the flow of tears.

Fuuko and Tokiya jumped into the ring, wanting to retrieve their comrade's body. Kaoru, Kagerou, and Yanagi stayed behind, watching the events as they unfold. The commotion happening at ringside was momentarily disturbed by Mori's appearance in the screen.

"Well well... it looks like it's about time for the champion to be announced."

Tatsuko, also among those in shock of the murder that happened before her, was brought back to her senses. For a brief moment, she forgot her role as a referee and stared only at the man she admired. This was an incident she never wanted to see, yet there it was. Reluctantly, she walked towards the center of the ring, raised her hand, and proclaimed the winner. Uruha Kurenai wins the tournament, to the cheer and jeer of the crowd.

**Episode 16 - The Escape**

"First of all, I'd like to congratulate my son Kurei for his hard earned victory. It was a fabulous ending to this tournament. Yet today, there's also some things I'd like you all to know. This tournament is a means for me to hit two birds with one stone... and the circumstances have all gone in my favor." The sponsor looked at Yanagi straight in the eye. "You will be mine, healing girl."

Kaoru looked at Yanagi. Her face paints a person overcame with grief, anxiety, and fear. She stood, staring blankly. Unsure of what to do. Unsure of what the future holds. There was no response, as though Mori's words were no words at all.

"You demon! We will never hand Yanagi over to you!" Shouted a familiar voice from the ring. Fuuko.

"Those are the rules of the tournament, woman. Don't you forget. You wagered Yanagi from the very start. I have every right to take her and do to her as I see fit."

"Never!" Fuuko countered. "If you want her, you will have to go through us first." Mori frowned at the Hokage's response. Visibly irritated. "You scum. I know that you'll refuse me of my prize. And that's why I made sure your futile resistance will be accounted for."

Suddenly, from above the ring, three people dived down. One spread her arms, and down came torrents of fire. Tokiya quickly drew out the Ensui to protect himself and Fuuko from the flame, Kurei attempted to dodge as well. Yet as he was about to move, his body refused. "What the?"

Kagenui. His shadow was pinned to the ground. After beating Recca, Kurei wasted most of his strength rendering such move to remain unnoticed. He was struck by the flame and dropped to his knees, severely wounded by the attack. While he won his battle against Recca, he did it at the edge of his strength. The Hokage was stubborn, refusing to die till the very end. Exhausting all that he had left, Kurei was no longer in a condition to defend himself.

"By the way, this tournament is also a means for me to fulfill one more goal." A gigantic hand formed around the ring and smashed Kurei to the ground. "Kurei's assassination." Immediately after the Uruha was struck down, a long spear made of blood shot down from above, stabbing the stone that subdued Kurei and consequently, impaling the Flame master himself.

Hiruko, Gaoh and Renge landed on their feet between Kurei and the two Hokage. Mori smirked as he watch the spectacle. Raiha and Neon dived into the ring to assist their fallen master. Mid-air though, a snake-like madougu blocked their path. Rasen suddenly appeared before Raiha and swung his rod. The ninja quickly drew out his sword to defend himself and was thrown aback. Seeing Rasen deflecting Raiha away, Neon instinctively retreated back as well. Rasen and Kirin enters the foray.

"Kaoru." Kagerou whispered. "You have to escape. Bring Yanagi with you." Kaoru didn't ask for a second confirmation. He quickly grabbed Yanagi's hand and pulled her away. "Sis, let's go. Let's go now!" The princess protested. "But... they're still in the ring. We can't leave them!"

"Yanagi," Kagerou responded. "Don't worry about us. We'll catch up once we're done."

"Noo! I will stay with my friends!"

"No Yanagi. You shouldn't waste this opportunity. Everyone's giving their all to protect you. Once Mori captures you, he will attain eternal life... and what comes with that is never ending violence. Don't give him a chance to take you as captive. Leave now!"

"But..."

Kaoru pulled the healing girl once more. "Sis... there's no time. We have to leave now!" The boy quickly looked at Miles, who still doesn't seem to notice them. As he observes the Planewalker's face, a double sense of urgency assured him of their need to evacuate. Kaoru pulled Yanagi once more... and this time, the princess was compliant.

"Yanagi, sis... I'm sorry." Kaoru spoke as the two continues to run to the exit. He looked at the girl, yet the princess showed no sign of wanting to respond. Kaoru looked away. He knows what could be running in Yanagi's mind... and he spoke no more.

Halfway towards the exit, Kaoru felt something amiss at the hallway. "Two strong beings are approaching us." He whispered. True enough, the left wall was broken through and out comes Shirohige, Mikoto's second puppet. The madougu stretched its hands to grab Yanagi, yet Kaoru's reflexes were able to keep the puppet at bay. He quickly drew out the Kougan Anki and fended the duo off.

The two continued to run as Shirohige cut to the chase. A few seconds later, Saicho appeared between the two and Shirohige. "Go! I'll take care of this." Kaoru smiled and bowed. Thanking his friend for his assistance.

I have to bring her to the meeting point.

After a few minutes of running, the two were successful in exiting the dome. Kaoru could visibly see Yanagi's exhaustion. The woman isn't particularly cut for battle and so her resistance was naturally lower than the boy.

"Just a little more, sis. Once we get to the forest, we can rest for awhile." Yanagi nodded. She too knows that if they would stop now, it will be easy for them to get captured. It didn't take too long before they found themselves inside a dense fog of trees. Yet as soon as both of them was about to stop running, Yanagi felt a sharp pain on her ankle. A gunshot. She cried in pain as she dropped to the ground, loosing her hand from Kaoru.

The boy looked back, seeing the princess down to the ground with a bleeding ankle. "Drats... there's more?!"

"You don't really think you can get away from us do you? ❤"

_That voice! Kamui!_

"Hand her over... and I might consider giving you a less painful death. ❤" Threatened the cyborg as he draws out his sword. Kaoru drew out his weapon in response. "I'm afraid I'm not letting you lay your filthy hands on Yanagi."

"Then you've just sealed your fate pretty boy." Declared the cyborg as he charged into Kaoru. Kamui swings his sword down, preparing for an upward slash. As Kaoru prepares to defend himself, one of the tree branches next to him speared itself in his direction. Kaoru immediately noticed the attack and slashed it off with his blade. As soon as he did so, Kamui was then far too close. "Die! ❤"

Kaoru leaned back, yet it wasn't enough. Kamui's sword slipped into his forehead... and blood broke out as he stumbled a few steps back. The trees began moving once more, sending its branches against the boy.

Kaoru quickly cut the branches off as they come... and Kamui repeated the same attack. Swinging his sword from the same direction, Kaoru caught it with the Kougan Anki's third form and cut the sword in half. The momentary shock paralyzed Kamui for a brief moment. Enough for Kaoru to follow through. The boy quickly changed the Kougan Anki to its first form and slashed off Kamui from the right shoulder to the left waste, bifurcating the cyborg in the process.

No mercy. Just as Kirito had said. Everything else matters less than Yanagi. Kamui falls in a blitz. Yet Kaoru had one more enemy to worry about. Mokuren.

He looked around. Left. Right. Only trees. The man is hiding beneath the dense forest. "Show yourself you coward!" Shouted the boy. Nature responded with another wave of assault. Branches stormed in, and like before, Kaoru chopped them off. Yet for every branch he takes out, more would come in its place.

Darn it... He's planning to exhaust me before revealing himself. That devious man!

"Kaoru-chan!" Called out the princess. Kaoru suddenly turned his attention to Yanagi, and there he noticed a couple of branches are shooting in her direction as well. By impulse, Kaoru jumped into Yanagi, pushing her away from the point of impact as he cut down the branches shooting towards her. As soon as the branches fall off, Kaoru looked up... and what appeared before him was an avalanche of branches diving into his direction.

The entire mass of the branches struck the place where Kaoru lay. There was a massive explosion, followed by a dense cloud of smoke.

"KAORU-CHAAANNN!"

End of Episode 16.

Author's Notes:

Next chapter coming out probably in mid August as I'll have a break from the daily grind by then.

I've began writing a flashback chapter today that'll be released hopefully within this year (not telling u which chapter it is :D). It turns out that I'm really enjoying it. Brings back the good old memories of Rurouni Kenshin.

I hope that you'll grow to love the main characters in this fiction. :)

Hope you like it! Please R and R.


End file.
